The Wayne State College Department of Music hosted the Choral Union Concert in Ley Theatre on April 13 to showcase the collective work and skill of WSC choir students. This event required the collaboration of all four choirs within the department as well as the dedication of student conductors.
Like many schools, WSC choirs usually perform one or two union pieces at the end of a concert, but this year they rehearsed enough selections to cover a whole show.
“Since having all four choirs perform on a single concert can make the program quite long, we decided to dedicate an entire concert to Choral Union this semester,” WSC Music Professor and Director of Choirs, Matthew Armstrong, said.
With many students in the music department studying to be teachers, rehearsals give them an opportunity to practice conducting. Large concerts, such as the Choral Union Concert, generally feature multiple student conductors, most primarily in their final year at WSC.
One of the student conductors, Chase Van Briesen, said the opportunity to have such a large exhibition from the music department gives the rest of the student body a chance to hear and understand the work put in by the students.
“Bringing all the choirs together kind of just helps display just how tremendous that music making is with a community,” Van Briesen said. “Usually for our choir concerts the house is always packed.”
With many friends, faculty and students in the audience and nearly every seat filled, this couldn’t have been truer. The theatre itself began to amp up long before the concert began.
The audience matches the students in their diversity. While there are many music majors in the WSC choirs, there are singers from departments across campus.
“Each of us has our own niches and our own nuances as individuals, but really being able to bring everyone together like this is just spectacular,” Van Briesen said. “There’s not a whole lot like it.”
Bre Matzen, another student conductor and highly involved member of the music department, expressed gratitude for her time with the program.
“I have been in a variety of choirs here at Wayne State,” Matzen said. “Not only have I been given the opportunity to sing in a group of supportive and motivated individuals, but I have also been given the opportunity to do some leadership.”
Among her conducting experiences, was preparing for the Choral Union Concert. According to Matzen and supported by other music students, practicing looks a little different with future educators leading other students.
“Student conductors get a chance to lead the choir through their piece and get conducting corrections from our director,” Matzen said. “Student conductors don’t get to run their pieces with all the choirs until the night of the concert. This makes for a fun challenge.”
Van Briesen also said the experience of working with a designated choir for their rehearsals and then the full combined choir in front of an audience makes for an exciting evening.
As a whole, the Choral Union Concert was a success, as the attendance and performance scale of Monday night’s concert goes to show the dedication of both the music students and staff.
“This has been an incredible year for the entire choir department,” Armstrong said. “It’s clear that there are many talented singers at WSC.”
