NIU Chamber Choir should not be ignored

By BRIDGET ORKFRITZ

Twenty-four voices sang in pristine unity as the NIU Chamber Choir performed at the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall Wednesday night.

The opener was an 11-movement selection that took up the entire first segment of the concert. The piece was very church-like and sounded as though the audience was within a cathedral. The voices blended well together and the transitions from one movement to the next were extremely smooth.

String players accompanied the choir throughout this piece and complemented the harmonies, especially the depth of the basses and lightness of the sopranos. At one point during the piece, the first tenors were astounding as they were able to hit the high notes effortlessly.

After intermission, the choir came back with a three movement piece in which the third movement, “For All Who Mourn,” was composed for the choir in remembrance of the Feb. 14 shootings. The previous two movements held a slow to medium tempo with a mix of a capella and piano accompaniment.

Most of the selections were comprised of foreign languages and a capella style. There was a good mix of rhythmic and harmonic tones, and the choir successfully annunciated their words and kept strong throughout the entire performance.

The Chamber Choir is one staple of the School of Music that should not be ignored.