The GRINNELL SINGERS ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HIGHLY DIVERSE IN
TERMS OF THEIR BACKGROUNDS, interests, and talents, but who are united
in their love of singing and their dedication to the choral art. They
perform music from a wide variety of traditions and locales — from
Brahms to Bluegrass, from Renaissance England to twenty-first century
New York. They work hard to craft the very best musical performances
together, and as they pursue these high ideals, they are committed to
fostering an environment that is welcoming and supportive for each and
every member. In addition to their musical work, the ensemble
regularly contributes to the community in the form of volunteer
projects. Each year, the Grinnell Singers complete a concert tour
during the first week of spring recess. In past years, they have
completed tours to Finland, Estonia, Russia, the Czech Republic,
Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Their 2012 tour took them into Canada,
with concerts in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Toronto, and Montreal,
culminating in a concert at Boston University, and in 2013, they
travelled to California, with concerts all along the coast, from San
Francisco to San Diego.
This year, we have another collaboration planned with the Lyra Baroque
Orchestra from the Twin Cities. Together with this professional
period-instrument ensemble, we will be presenting three performances
of Handel’s Dixit Dominus and J. S. Bach’s Mass in A Major in
Grinnell and in St. Paul and Rochester Minnesota. One of our most
illustrious musical alumni, Thomas Meglioranza ’92, will also be
joining us as baritone soloist for these concerts. This is the third
time that the Grinnell Singers have teamed up with the Lyra Baroque
Orchestra. Our 2017 concerts, under the direction of guest conductor
Simon Carrington, were hailed as “superbly nimble and confident”
by the Rochester Post-Bulletin. Our first collaboration, on Handel’s
Esther was also a joyful and richly rewarding occasion. We are pleased
to have this ongoing relationship with this fine ensemble, and their
musical director, Jacques Ogg.
Following our Twin-Cities concerts with the Lyra Baroque Orchestra
during the first two days of spring break, we will continue on the
road, performing concerts on our own on our spring-break tour.
Tallis’s forty-voice motet, Spem in alium has been a signature piece
for the Grinnell Singers over the years. It is a great adventure
mastering this piece, in which each individual really has to sing with
complete independence. There is so much to explore in this rich work
of art. One of the most enjoyable things we’ve done is to sing
impromptu performances of Spem in alium in resonant acoustics such as
state capitol rotundas while on tour. As part of this project, we also
plan to create a virtual choir version of our performance.
music
concerts
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20/03/2019 Last update