By Jacob Rzempoluch, Sports Editor
On Nov. 2, the Saint Vincent College Singers performed a selection of songs in the former art gallery. The Singers, a choir group, is made up of SVC students and led by Dr. Thomas Octave. With accompaniment by Mr. J. Christopher Pardini, the Singers performed six selections before four students sang solo selections. The songs ranged from prayerful selections like Anima Christi to contemporary choices like Billy Joel’s And So It Goes.
While the songs sung by the full choir are selected by Dr. Octave, individual soloists selected their own pieces. “At the beginning of the semester we pick out some repertoire that we are thinking of doing,” junior biology major Anna Doelling explained. Doelling performed The Year’s At The Spring by H. H. A. Beach. “We picked this song, (it’s actually done by a female composer,) because we’re hoping in the spring to have a couple of different concert series of students, including American opera songs composed by women.”
Doelling, who also performs in musicals with the Company, enjoys that the Singers perform a variety of musical genres. Sophomore criminology and vocal performance major Spencer Millay, who also performs with the Players, shared this sentiment. “I love both because they allow me to perform regularly and become a versatile performer,” Millay said. Millay said that he chose to sing Corner of the Sky from Pippin. “I feel that I connect with that number now more than ever.”
The Singers has additionally provided an excellent home for new SVC students. “Everyone in the SVC Singers is so great with music, we really pick up on stuff really quickly, so it’s really nice when you can work with like-minded people like that,” said freshman communications major Ava Adams. Adams sang I Remember by Stephen Sondheim as her solo. “So Mr. Brandt, my voice teacher, actually had the song for me, but it's funny because a couple of years ago I used it for an audition piece,” said Adams. “It just really speaks to me.”
The SVC Singers typically perform once a semester, although they occasionally perform at campus events or with members of the SVC community.
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