On Oct. 28, the Longwood Camerata Singers, along with the Chamber Singers, performed their fall concert, “Encountering the Unknown,” with a large repertoire of various pieces. Jarman Auditorium was packed with Longwood students, faculty and community members who were all eagerly anticipating the night’s performance.
The evening started off with the Chamber Singers taking the stage to perform five pieces. The Chamber Singers is an all-female group, open to all of Longwood’s women regardless of their major. This year’s ensemble was made up of 14 females all dressed in lovely black dresses. Their first choice of selections was a group of five short pieces, which set the tone for the rest of the performance.
Two of the five pieces were acapella and the group’s voices filled the auditorium as their pitch and dynamics both increased and decreased in waves. What was most interesting about this group was that during each piece, they would change their arrangement almost as if some of the performers were changing their vocal section depending on the song.
The group’s fourth performance was entitled “Ave Maria,” which featured soloists Roxanne Cook, a sophomore Music Education major, and Stephanie Piscitelli, a sophomore Biology major. Both women did an excellent job with their solos and set a high bar for the rest of the performers to follow.
Next was a piece entitled “Hexenlied,” and as conductor Pamela McDermott briefly commented, was “a scary piece.”
After the performances by the Chamber Singers, McDermott informed the crowd that three of the seniors in the Camerata Singers would be showcasing their own selection, which would be performed in their individual senior recitals.
The first of the performers was Amanda Nazario and she performed an elegant piece accompanied by pianist, Dr. Lisa Kinzer.
Following her performance, the Camerata Singers took the stage to sing the first of their two repertoires, which contained four songs. After the first selection, McDermott remarked how her students “loved singing in French” and how “every Voice major is required to sing in English, Italian, German and French over the course of their time here at Longwood.”
Following these selections, Spencer Smith showcased his talents on the marimba, accompanied by friend Micheal Norwood, another member of the Camerata Singers. After their performance, McDermott explained how Longwood’s Music Department is different than other liberal arts schools, in that, “our students can be involved in both vocal and instrumental ensembles since none of them conflict with each other,” which helped explain how some of the singers were playing instruments during a vocal performance.
The Chamber Singers came back on stage for their final appearance of the night. They performed three songs, each in a different language. Junior Nikki Elkins, had a brief solo in their piece “Lux Aeterna,” which was an elegant Latin piece with many various dynamics that were expressed. Following this piece was a very spiritual and passionate acapella piece entitled “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble to My Feet,” featuring soloists Katie Fountain, a junior Music Education major, and Vera Crouse, a senior Music Education major.
Dawn Seto was the last of the senior performers for the night, performing a piece in French about a little girl who is very excited to go to her first dance. Seto did an excellent job with the piece and even added her own flair to the piece with her curtsey at the end.
The Camerata Singers took the stage for their final appearance of the night, performing their final three selections under McDermott’s direction. These three pieces were unique in their own way, as well as varying in languages.
“Daemon Irrepit Callidus” is a Latin piece describing a Demon who sneaks around and tempts humans. After this piece was “A Simple Place,” featuring junior soloist Chandler Baldree.
This wonderful evening of music was concluded with a piece entitled “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord,” which was similar to the piece “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet.” Both were filled with dynamics and energy. This selection was a great way to end the concert and left the crowd speechless as they left the auditorium.
The next musical performance will be the Wind Symphony Concert. It will take place on Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium. Admission is free and students are invited to come watch their peers showcase their talents, driven by their hard work and dedication.
