University Singers is one of UMSL’s three premier vocal ensembles, along with Vocal Point and Voices of Jubilation. Composed of nearly 30 singers, students of varying majors come together under Touhill’s roof to practice concert sets of four to six songs, including classical, African American spirituals and sacred pieces in foreign languages.
In preparation for the choral season and these challenging pieces, choir secretary Holly Hawthrone put together the group’s first-ever spring choir retreat.
On Jan. 18, in the Creative Arts Building, students were immersed in the world of musical composition, receiving two new pieces of music to be performed by the ensemble at their end-of-year concert in May. After a long winter break, singers were joined together in the learning and relearning of healthy vocal techniques, vowel shaping, tone shifting and complex harmony.
One of the two songs being rehearsed for the first time was Psaume 137, which translates to Psalm 137, a French illustration of the sorrowful Jewish captives alongside Babylonian rivers. With their instruments hung in the trees, they refused to sing songs for their captors, instead grieving the destruction of their home, Jerusalem. Dr. Bethany Worrell, Director of Vocal Studies and diction teacher for music majors at UMSL, is the choir’s first stop for foreign-language education. With her experience and knowledge of IPA, the teaching method known as International Phonetic Alphabet, Dr. Worrell can teach others to transcribe pronunciation across all languages using a system of numerous symbols that universally represent various speech sounds. Throughout the retreat, choir members participated in several social mixers that allowed attendees to get to know one another on a deeper level outside of music.
Ayah Gharbi, the choir’s Student Government Association representative, described this event as a great way for new students to interact with current members and feel comfortable on campus.
The night ended with a few rounds of “Grab The Mic,” a team game that involves a musical form of word association. After flipping a card with a word on it, such as “hot” or “more,” players have to race against members on the opposing teams to think of a song with that word first. Once someone has a song, they grab the mic and sing it loudly and proudly. Accidentally sing a lyric wrong or thought one word was another one? Your team is out for the next round. This game tapped into the singers’ mental music archives and tested everyone.
Whether students are music or engineering majors, anyone who has a love for singing and understands the craft of beautiful music is welcome. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019, University Singers Conductor Dr. Jim Henry has reported a decline in members. Nevertheless, by planning and hosting events like the spring retreat, the choir officers and staff hope to rebuild their outstanding community, regardless of the numbers. UMSL senior and University Singers member Arissa Ford reflected on these opportunities to share her love of music.
“Being new to choir and a non-music major, it can be easy to feel like an outsider sometimes in class because it seems like everyone already knows each other or has other music classes together. I loved having the opportunity to build upon my relationships with people in the choir outside of class and being able to hang out in a casual and fun setting.”
The members of University Singers share one goal: to spread their love of music through the halls of UMSL. Choir secretary Holly Hawthrone shared her thoughts on how community helps enrich the music-making experience.
“Group music making is all about sharing in a storytelling experience, becoming more empathetic and then sharing with the greater community. It doesn’t serve much purpose to create music that is not shared. When we are closer and able to empathize with each other through team building, our storytelling and sharing abilities are heightened, so those who listen to the messages we share may be moved even more.”
Interested in joining University Singers or another one of UMSL’s choral ensembles? Contact director Dr. Jim Henry at [email protected].
