Visions of the Voice’ concert fuses two art forms
By: Tania Robin
Staff Writer
Music wasn’t the only artistic feature of Meramec’s latest choir concert.
Visions of the Voice’, an Oct. 22 concert directed by professor Dr. Gerald Myers, featured accompaniment outside of the musical variety by including other art forms such as painting and poetry. Several groups performed.
Guest painter Vesna Delevska was instructed to draw inspiration from the music and painted for the entire duration of the concert. Her artwork was projected onto a screen so the audience could watch her progress.
I was very excited to be a part of this concert,” said Delevska.
The first group, the Creative Contemporary Singers, performed improvised versions of two songs with randomly selected genres, the first being 80’s pop, the second, gospel. The group was conducted by Gloria West, who also assisted Myers with all three groups.
The second group, the Chamber Singers conducted by Myers, introduced another form of art in their first song ‘Lux Arumque’ by Eric Whitacre. Students in professor Tim Linder’s motion media design class created the animation displayed during this song. The students represented were Cori Hiripitiyage, Erin Knadler and Christine Tosie.
The final two songs by the Chamber Singers featured a spectrogram, a visual representation of the spectrum of sound frequencies. Myers wanted to show the audience “what the voice looks and sounds like.”
The second half of the show introduced student painter Collin Bolles, who painted for the remainder of the concert.
I was very happy to be part of this choir concert,” said Bolles. “I have never done anything like this before. This experience was a 100 percent first for me. I was a bit nervous but I had fun while I was up on stage.”
The entire Concert Choir performed the final five songs. The second song, ‘In Flander’s Fields’ by John Jacobson and Rodger Emerson, featured animations by students Lacey Call, Lionel Collins, Scott Sandifer and Marisa Scott. The animations were created in professor Michael Swoboda’s class, Special Topics in Graphic Design. These students also contributed artwork for the fourth song ‘Glow’ by Eric Whitacre.
Following ‘In Flander’s Fields,” student Joe Delucia recited a poem inspired by the piece about three generations of men who went to war in his family, including himself. Delucia ended the poem asking for peace for his grandsons.
Glow’ as well as ‘Flight Song’ by Kim Andre Amensen featured still images by artist Debbie Corson.
The final song, ‘San Bonani Nambla Kudibene’, arranged by Michael Barrett, was South African in origin. Singers engaged themselves by moving on stage and their energy transferred to the audience, who left the concert with huge smiles on their faces.
The concert was singer Emily Colton’s first time on stage, but she said she had a “fun time” nonetheless.
“I was nervous but Dr. Myers and Mrs. West helped me a lot with the preparation,” said Colton. “In this choir we are always a team. We work well together and all of us support each other. I love the music department at Meramec.”
