Randolph music groups prepared for upcoming concerts

Infused with new talent and energy, Randolph’s student music groups are looking forward to exciting concerts this year. The music begins with two Family Weekend concerts on Friday and Saturday, but it will continue with better and more challenging music as the year goes on.

Each group had record numbers of students audition, including many talented first-year students who will add their talents to the groups for the next four years.

Family Weekend Concerts

A Cappella Concert

featuring Songshine and Voices
Friday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m., Hampson Commons

Music Department Showcase

featuring Chorale and Touch of Harmony
Saturday, Sept. 28, 4 p.m., Wimberly Recital Hall

“In addition to having more performers, we actually have more accomplished musicians overall, too,” said Randall Speer, a music professor and conductor. “All of the groups are doing some pretty impressive repertoire.”

The additional talent is opening possibilities for performing musical pieces that Speer has wanted to introduce to the groups for some time.

Chorale, the College’s premiere performing ensemble, now has 26 students, including 16 first-year students and more male voices than the group has ever had. During the Family Weekend music department showcase, Chorale will perform a piece by Eric Whitacre, a popular American composer whose music often splits into eight different complex harmonies. This requires enough musicians to handle the complexity with confidence. “This Chorale can do that,” Speer said.

Chorale rehearses for their upcoming Family Weekend concert.

Touch of Harmony, a jazz group, is now at full capacity. They will perform Icarus, a jazz piece that Speer has always hoped to have a College group perform.

Voices and Songshine, Randolph’s student-run a cappella groups, also had incredible auditions. Each group has been working to prepare pieces for a concert on Friday of Family Weekend. “We’re really looking forward to our first major performance of the year,” said Chelsea Fox, president of Songshine.

Randolph’s Chamber Orchestra, created less than two years ago, now has 10 student musicians, including two local high school students. Although they do not have a concert on Family Weekend like the other ensembles, they have started learning a demanding symphony to be performed alongside a professional orchestra later this year. They also will perform with chorale in Christmas Vespers.

Speer is excited to see the way each student’s musical talent grows as they approach new challenges that come from complex and interesting music, rather than coming from smaller numbers.

“The literature itself is the thing that is really providing the vast majority of the challenge,” Speer said. “They can take pride in the fact that they’re learning this together and we’re going to do it.”

Randolph concert airs on Virginia radio station this weekend

Randolph College’s spring choir and orchestra concert will hit Virginia airwaves this weekend.

Classics Radio (91.7 FM in Lynchburg, 89.5 in Fredericksburg) will play highlights from the concert at 9 a.m. Friday, followed by replays at noon and 5 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

The April concert featured Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and Randall Thompson’s The Place of the Blest performed by the Randolph College Chorale and Chamber Orchestra along with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra. Randall Speer, Randolph music professor, conducted the concert. Classics Radio coordinated with the Randolph music department to record the concert.

Solemn Vespers is the piece that Chorale sang in Carnegie Hall this spring.

Model U.N. and Carnegie Hall: Two groups of students in New York this week (with video)

From global policies to Mozart music, two groups of Randolph College students are making their mark in New York this week.

Randolph’s Model United Nations team is representing the Republic of Yemen in the National Model United Nations Conference. Meanwhile, Chorale, a student singing group,will perform in Carnegie Hall on Sunday.

Watch this video to hear Jennifer Dugan, a political science professor, explain what it is like to prepare to represent a volatile foreign government.

Model U.N. is a tradition at the College. Each year, students delve into the culture, history, and politics of the country they are assigned to represent. They attend the national conference to discuss policies and make proposals based on the needs and views of the country they represent. Randolph students often bring awards home with them recognizing them for their outstanding preparation.

Kira Chhatwal ’12 is serving as the head delegate from the Randolph team this year. You can track updates from the team by reading their Model U.N. blog.

On Friday, an alumna in New York is hosting a reception for the Model U.N. students.

Although the Randolph College Chorale has toured frequently, performing in Carnegie Hall is a new experience. Randall Speer, a music professor and conductor of Chorale, caught the attention of MidAmerica Productions more than a year ago, and the company invited him to conduct a choir in a festival concert in Carnegie Hall.

Randolph students are excited about their Carnegie Hall debut. Watch this video to listen to them practice.

Speer invited the Chorale students to come with him so they could experience the thrill of performing in such an impressive venue.

Over the next few days, they will hold rehearsals with an orchestra, professional soloists, and another choir that is joining them for the concert. On Sunday, they will take the stage to perform Mozart’s Solemn Vespers.

Then they will bring that music back to Lynchburg, performing the Mozart piece and Randall Thompson’s The Place of the Blest in a concert with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on April 15 in Houston Memorial Chapel.