Kent State Choirs Come Together to Sing
For the first time in history, every Kent State University choir will come together to perform a holiday concert to celebrate the power of music bringing people together. This is possible due to the desire of the Kent State University Department of Music to unite music aficionados.
Director of Choral Studies Dr. Scott MacPherson is looking forward to working with every Kent State University choir.
“It’s going to be a real celebration of music. We’re going to put all of the choirs onstage at once.”
The Kent Chorus will be able to join the Coro Cantare, the Cantique, the Nova Jazz Singers and the Gospel Choir, which means that two hundred people of all skill levels and ages will come together to sing.
“All of the voices are very different, and because they are all different, they create a beautiful, homogenized sound.”
Robert Kunst, Kent Chorus community member
Dr. MacPherson said that regardless of age, anyone is allowed to join the Gospel Choir and the Kent Chorus.
“Community members can sing in the Kent Chorus as well as faculty, staff, alumni singers and students, so it’s a mixture of both. It’s a very unique thing for our campus.”
In order to prepare the Christmas, Hanukkah, gospel, jazz and classical pieces, the choirs have been working together daily since the beginning of the semester to learn songs in four different languages.
Kent State University Vocal Performance Graduate Student and concert soloist Xuyue Qing said that singing in a group can be more challenging than singing alone. He said that attentiveness to the conductor and the whole ensemble is crucial.
“It’s a cooperation for everyone. It’s not like [when] you sing by yourself. It’s a group. So, you need to pay attention.”
The Kent choir directors use a variety of tests, including pitch tests and theory tests, to prepare choir members for the concert both individually and as a group.
Kent Chorus community member Robert Kunst said that the differences of every voice will allow them to come together.
“All of the voices are very different, and because they are all different, they create a beautiful, homogenized sound.”
The concert will be on Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. in Cartwright Hall.