Versatility: The hallmark of a good choir

Our director Dr. Elpus regularly says that “versatility is the hallmark of a good choir,” and our ACDA concert program sets out to demonstrate that. From a sacred motet to a Bulgarian folk song to an African-American spiritual, our program includes a wide variety of music.  Mastering the appropriate vocal tone for each genre of music has been a challenge, and we’ve had several extra rehearsals outside of our normal schedule to prepare.

One of the hardest tones to master has been the forward, nasal tone of Bulgarian folk singing for Peter Lyondev’s jaunty “Ergen Deda.”  The text of this song reads:

The old bachelor, red-faced old man,

like this and like that,

wearing his peasant hat sideways,

like this and like that,

tipped up and down,

He went to the village,

and joined the circle dance,

to dance next to the maidens,

All the maidens ran away,

only the youngest one stayed,

the youngest one, Angelina.

Performing this song with the proper tone requires us almost to belt, which goes against traditional bel canto vocal training and was tough for us to master.  We had the opportunity to work with Tzvety Dosseva Weiner, a local Bulgarian folk singer, to help us develop an authentic tone and embody the villagers gossiping about the circle dance.  Our percussionist Jesse Florida also learned how to play the tupan, a drum used in Balkan music.  

We also look forward to premiering the treble arrangement of “Only in Sleep” by Ēriks Ešenvalds. The Latvian composer has thoughtfully set a poem by American poet Sara Teasdale about a woman who dreams about the young girls she played with as a child.

Sara Teasdale photograph by Arnold Genthe, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Ironically, Teasdale herself was a sickly child who was forced to live a sheltered childhood.  She was homeschooled until she was age nine and had little contact with her peers, so she was forced to rely on her own imagination to amuse herself.  Whether or not  “Only in Sleep” is autobiographical, it is nostalgic -- whether for things past or for what might have been.  We look forward to performing it for Ešenvalds, who will also be attending the ACDA conference.

We have just one more rehearsal left before we depart on Tuesday!  We're feeling more and more excited about our performance.  Check back on Tuesday for an update on our journey north.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Schweich is a senior broadcast journalism major, women’s studies certificate candidate and voice performance minor.  While this is only her second semester as a member of the UMD Women’s Chorus, she has been involved with UMD Choirs since her freshman year as a member of the University Chorale, the UMD Summer Chorus and Femmes de Chanson, a student-run classical a cappella group for women.