At the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, choirs around the world were significantly impacted. Could we gather to sing? If so, could we do it safely to ensure that singers would not be exposed to the coronavirus. The student chamber choir, conScience (yes, pronounced "conscience") was able to gather in a limited way during the Fall semester. We rehearsed in small groups and had two other rehearsals a week (shorter than previous semester) in the large lobby of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. Room air exchanges were set at a maximum rate; all singers wore masks; they stood in a socially distanced formations. We did not have the opportunity to sing before a live audience. How could we sing together and share our music with others. This project is the fruit of our labors from rehearsals in Spring 2021.
If you have ever sung in a choir you know the joy of singing in beautiful spaces. So much choral literature is composed with large, resonant spaces in mind. These spaces, often places of worship, invoke a feeling of awe and wonder through their expansiveness and their sound. Living on the Keweenaw Peninsula we are surrounded by many of these beautiful spaces, many of which were built over a century ago. We are pleased to offer this gift to you: three short concerts (2-3 selections) in three historic sacred spaces: St. Joseph Catholic Church (Lake Linden), Temple Jacob (Hancock), and Grace United Methodist Church (Houghton). We express our many thanks to each congregation and their leaders for allowing us to sing and record in their beautiful spaces.
St. Joseph Catholic Church: March 2-3, 2021
Laus Trinitati
Hildegard of Bingen
Laus Trinitati from Hildegard Motets
Frank Ferko
Enfold Us
Mark Kilstofte
Grace United Methodist Church: March 22-23, 2021
Song of Peace
Vincent Persichetti
Cornerstone
Shawn Kirchner
Temple Jacob: April 19-20, 2021
Peirot Chamishah Asar
Naomi Shemer
arr. Gil Aldema
Thanksgiving Upon Awakening from Talmud Suite
Sid Robinovitch