Ohio University’s singing groups combine for a concert Tuesday.
Elegant black dresses, tuxedos and the well-known green blazers take over First United Methodist Church on Tuesday night with a wide variety of melodies, including pieces about drinking to death and war.
Ohio University Singers, a coed ensemble, and the Singing Men of Ohio, a group of 80 males in its 25th anniversary of establishment, have their first concert of the year on Tuesday with a theme of sacred choral works.
The Singing Men of Ohio will premiere a new song, “Invictus,” written by Daniel J. Hall, Ohio University’s director of choral activities, said Grant Johnson, a junior studying music and music business and a member of Ohio University Singers and SMO.
“I’ve taken (the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley) and set it to music,” said Hall. “I’ve written the music, but I’ve let those words inspire the music. It’s real driving, it doesn’t sound like rock ‘n’ roll, but there is sort of a rock ‘n’ roll element there.”
Ohio University Singers will perform “Evening Prayer” a modern piece by Ola Gjeilo, and will be accompanied on the saxophone by Sean Parsons,assistant professor of music theory and jazz, and on the piano by Matthew James, professor of saxophone and jazz studies, said Victoria Mark, senior studying music therapy and president of Ohio University Singers.
Following the sacred theme, the concert includes both groups performing spirituals, which “reflect that kind of pain, anguish, and struggle that slaves had, but they also reflect a real amazing kind of hope and faith,” Hall said.
Brass and percussion are featured in a march sung by SMO, called “Dirge for Two Veterans,” which is based on a Walt Whitman poem. The piece has interesting harmonies and creates the environment of a battle field, Johnson said.
The concert includes a wide range of styles and melodies in hopes of breaking the stereotype of choral performances. SMO will sing traditional George Frederick Handel songs but move into “Down among the Dead Men” by Vaughn Williams, essentially a drinking song, said Johnson.
“It’s a chance to hear something different. Classical music, it’s not all Mozart and Beethoven,” said Mark.
Aside from the use of instrumental, Ohio University Singers bring in different elements of arrangement to the pieces the group is performing.
“A few of our songs have been paired up so we will start one song and when it finishes, we’ll go directly into the other without a break,” Mark said. “(Hall) ties together pieces that are very contrasting but have the same kind of idea in them. It helps the audience to be able to connect the two ideas as well.”
Section 8, an a Capella group auditioned out of SMO, will also perform after intermission, Johnson said. In past years, the group has sang hits by Drake and Katy Perry.
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