Voces8, a group of eight choral singers, hummed, sang and bopped a variety of music in the Reynold’s Performance Hall on Nov. 10.
Pieces ranged from “Oh Shenandoah” to “Price Tag” with a rendition of “The Lion King” for the finale.
For the vocalists, the music meant more than a few words on a page.
John Pacey, bass singer, spoke about how the songs were meant to communicate emotions and convey meaning to the audience.
“When we get onstage with the lights on and the audience there, that’s when we really get to experience the music,” Pacey said. “Because we’re experiencing the music so much ourselves [we can therefore]convey it to the audience, and the emotions really do get to you sometimes.”
Tenor Sam Dressel said singing allows vocalists to communicate messages to the audience quicker than other forms of musical expression.
“The best thing about being a singer as opposed to just playing an instrument is you have words, so you can communicate something in a direct way,” Dressel said. “So the first thing I’m thinking about is the words and what’s the best way I can get the meaning of the word across to the audience.”
Dessel also said the variety of music gave the audience a better chance to connect.
“Classical audiences prefer we do something lighter as well so it’s a bit different from a normal concert. Also it brings new audiences to us, so you get the best of both worlds and the audiences seem to enjoy the variety,” Dressel said.
According to Pacey because they performed a variety of songs, there was a greater chance for the songs to connect with individuals.
“Everyone has a different passion in what we do, and that’s what’s great about doing such a wide variety of music,” Pacey said. “We do everything from the 1300s to the present day so that huge variety of music means there’s something for everyone.”
Pacey said that there is a power in being able to convey to the audience deep emotions through music.“
photo by Waid Rainey
