The walls of Reynolds Performance Hall rang with the powerful sounds of the State Symphony Capella of Russia choir Friday, Nov. 5.
As the 58-member chorus made their way to the risers in the center of the stage in Reynolds, the crowd followed with applause. The choir solemnly stood dressed in black while they made preparations to start the show. One woman moved from the center of the bottom riser to put the conductor’s music on his music stand. She scurried back to her spot as conductor Valery Polyanskiy came to the center of the stage.
When Polyanskiy reached his stand, the only sound heard throughout the hall was the quiet hum of a pitch pipe that he played to show the choir the note they would be singing. All eyes were on Polyanskiy as he raised his arms to signal the beginning of the show.
The first song, “Concerto for Choir #19” stunned the audience. Although the audience was primarily English speaking, comprehension of the language wasn’t necessary to see and hear the talent that these performers possessed. The harmonies in this song were incredible. The bass singers in this group shook the walls with their deep voices, while the soprano singers could shatter glass with the notes that they sang. When the song ended, Polyanskiy lowered his hands, signaling to the audience that the song was over. After this gesture, the audience roared with applause.
“Fragments from Liturgy St. John Chrysostom” was the second song of the evening. The song had three parts that each showcased the dynamic capabilities of the choir. The sounds of each voice got louder and softer as the conductor instructed them.
Each part sang by the choir was different, but while being different, the group was always completely in unison. Not one person sang out of turn. The song ended perfectly. The audience agreed as applause echoed throughout the auditorium as Polyanskiy bowed twice to thank the audience for the approval.
The last song before intermission was entitled “Cordial Talks, Fragments of the Cantata,” that began with a whistle in the midst of the choir on the risers, startling the audience. One man from the tenor section at the top of the risers hurried behind the choir to play a snare drum to set up the beat for the song.
Voices rang out throughout the entire song, sounding flawless. Periodically throughout the song, voices would stop completely to allow a woman in the front of the choir to play the slight “ding” of a triangle she held in her hands. As the song progressed, the voices steadily grew softer, then ending the song. The first half of the concert consisted of traditional Russian hymns and concertos.
After intermission, as the choir made their way back to the stage, the crowd welcomed them back with applause. The second half of the concert began with a two-part song entitled “Locus Iste” by Anton Bruckner. The choir members held each note they sang for what seemed like minutes, showing off the powerful voices they all had. The Capella of Russia also sang a selection of folk songs in the second half of the concert. One song that everyone in the audience seemed to know was “Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells.)” The popular Christmas song was brought to life as each harmony part came in. The walls seemed to shiver with the powerful sound of all of the voices of the Capella of Russia. When the choir finished this song, the audience shouted in approval along with applause.
The concert came to an end with a song called “Kalinka.” The song began with a strong tenor solo, and each section of the choir came in and joined as one. The tempo picked up as the song progressed. The voices became very staccato and choppy with the increased speed. After a huge crescendo, the song ended. A standing ovation by the audience soon followed.
Sophomore Allison Nokelby said she attended the concert because she loves music.
“I thought the concert was rather enjoyable. The basses had amazing ranges and all of the parts had great unisons within their sections,” Nokelby said.
Freshman Elizabeth Sneed also attended the concert.
“I was really surprised at how good they sounded. It was a pleasant surprise,” Sneed said.