The Biola Chorale traveled to New York City for five days in April to sing under the direction of world-renowned composer Eric Whitacre in Carnegie Hall. Joining a group of several hundred singers from around the world, after eight hours of rehearsal over two days, the Chorale performed in the second half of the program on April 17, 2010. The repertoire included many of his more notable compositions such as Sleep, Cloudburst and Water Night. Much of the concert featured choral settings of the poetry of E.E. Cummings. It was a particular highlight for the Chorale members to premiere the delightful setting of Cummings’ poetry in Animal Crackers II: “The Canary,” “The Kangaroo” and “The Eel,” and the five-song set City and the Sea. The Chorale’s buttons were bursting when five Biola singers were chosen as either vocal or instrumental soloists. It was a joy shared by all to hear the staff members comment on how much talent there was at Biola. It is the Chorale’s hope that God was glorified in the contributions made to the event both interpersonally and musically.
Outside of rehearsals, the singers were able to enjoy operas at the New York Met, Broadway shows, jazz clubs, impromptu church concerts, sight-seeing tours, lots of good restaurants and a group visit to the World Trade Center site. Many of those students were only age nine or ten when 9/11 terror attack occurred. Numerous students said it was a life-changing experience for them to visit the site.
The Big Apple left Chorale students, music majors and non-music majors alike, inspired and excited about all of New York’s opportunities and possibilities. In the concluding moments of the Carnegie concert, the Chorale graced the Carnegie Hall audience with the final soothing notes of Sleep, leaving for Los Angeles the next morning with five days in New York indelibly impressed upon their memories.