The University of Maryland’s music school presented its Winter A Cappella Concert in the Memorial Chapel Monday night, featuring student ensembles Voix de Chanson and Freundemusik.
The companies performed a variety of a cappella pieces during the joint concert, many of which were holiday-themed to welcome the month of December.
Voix de Chanson, this university’s student-led treble chamber ensemble, opened the night with “Guadete!” by Piae Cantiones. A Latin Christmas carol, “Guadete!” set the tone of the performance with overlapping melodies from different vocal ranges within the ensemble.
In addition to traditional carols, Voix de Chanson made sure to include other well-known tunes in its concert program. Students sang Richard Rogers’ classic “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music in an operatic arrangement. The group also performed an a capella rendition of the jazz standard “Misty” by Erroll Garner, putting a hymnal spin on the timeless piece.
“The blend of music really is just extravagant,” said sophomore art education and art studio major Hannah Harpster after the performance. “It really sounds great in the chapel as well.”
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As this university’s student-led tenor-bass chamber ensemble, Freundemusik performed a similar variety of songs within its deeper musical range. The group’s second piece, “Daemon Irrepit Callidus,” had a fast-paced and haunting musical aesthetic.The tune’s hymnal vibe paired well with the Chapel’s signature echoing acoustics.
The ensemble also performed an a capella rendition of “Haneirot Halalu,” a Hebrew prayer often sung during Hanukkah. This inclusion represented an important aspect of Freundemusik’s artistry.
“Freunde has an extra rule that we always try to promote Jewish or Hebrew music,” said Lily Gallihue, fifth-year music composition major and co-director of Freundemusik.
One of audience member Harpster’s favorite pieces of the night was “Keresimesi Odun De O,” a Nigerian folk song that Voix de Chanson performed in Yoruba.
“We try to incorporate different languages, different cultures,” said Madison Weil, sophomore music education major and co-director of Voix de Chanson. “That’s our most important thing, to show diverse music.”
Combined, the two groups sang pieces in six different languages — English, Acadian French, Yoruba, Latin, Hebrew and German.
For the final song of the night, both a capella groups shared the stage to perform “The Road Home” by Stephen Paulus. Conducted by Gallihue, treble and tenor-bass vocals blended together in a sweet yet somber tune.
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For Gallihue, the goal of the night was communal entertainment.
“It’s about the joy of group singing,” she said. “If we looked like we were having fun, then someone in the audience started bobbing along or having fun too, that’s complete mission success.”
