The SNU Chorale is the flagship choir of this university, and it has been a core institution of the music department for a very long time. Every year, they take on the responsibility of performing in multiple concerts, each one with a different musical theme, whether it be a celebration of sacred hymns, a recognition of Christmas, or even a performance of a single larger work. A new beginning to a year of choir is always exciting, but for this year, it is even more exciting than my first few years of being a member.
For starters, we had a considerable increase in students involved, thanks to a truly invested freshman class. In fact, there were so many incoming bass voices that I ended up moving to the voice part of the tenor! An increase of twenty-eight choral voices to forty-five also gives returning students an opportunity to create bonds with newer ones, taking on more leadership roles in the process. One of the best ways we accomplish this is through the annual Chorale Retreat, where we go off to Salyer Lake for two days of music rehearsals and fellowship. Alayna Bryson, an SNU student who has been involved with the various choirs since her freshman year, expressed that the reason why the music department has such a strong community is because “we’ve taken the time to break down the barriers of relationship and find common ground” through singing with one another. It is a time when we can build up both our sound and our relationships before heading into the rest of the year.
Among some of the concerts that SNU can look forward to this year is our upcoming Annual Festival of Hymns, which will be held at Calvary Church of the Nazarene on September 22. When I asked Dr. Jim Graves, the university’s Director of Choral Activities, what excited him the most about this concert, as well as the other concerts the SNU Chorale will be performing, is the development that has been occurring in the choir over the last two to three years. “We’re really growing the talent level,” Dr. Graves states. He also expressed that in some ways, our school’s choirs have the same goal every year, which is to impact people through great music, and “build concerts that are impactful.”
The SNU Chorale has a lot of events for the campus to look forward to, and after a period of fellowship and preparation with the Chorale Retreat, we will be ready to offer a fantastic and moving experience for all audiences. There is always a lot of work that goes into these performances, and I really hope that as many people as possible can come to these concerts because I can guarantee that you will have a wonderful experience at any one of them.
Photo by: Jacob Mash