Southeast Chamber Choir to perform something old, new borrowed and blue

The Southeast Missouri State University Chamber Choir will perform a concert with a theme that encompasses a wide range of music. The theme of the concert is something old, new, borrowed and blue.

Conductor of the Chamber Choir Dr. Peter Durow said that the concert will contain six sections: "A Sweet Beginning," "Something Traditional," "Something Old," "Something New," "Something Borrowed (and New)" and "Something Blue."

"The music is chosen with this theme because I wanted to program a variety of repertoire," Durow said.

The "Sweet Beginnings" section will include the short a capella piece "Sweet Day" by Vaughan Williams and "How Sweet and Fair" by Stephen Chatman, which will feature Southeast clarinet professor Gabrielle Baffoni.

"Something Traditional" will feature the songs "Blow the Candles Out," in which the men and women sing back to each other,and "Wondrous Love" that Durow said is a popuar tune that people will recognize.

The "Something Old" section features two pieces from the Renaissance period, and the "Something New" and "Something Borrowed (and New)" sections will feature the original work of Southeast students.

"This concert I have programmed four pieces by student composers," Durow said. "They are current Southeast students. One of them sings in the choir, Chris Boyd is actually a singer in the Chamber Choir. Two of them are composition majors, Deavyn West and Tyler Tuschhoff. ... The fourth student is Vikki Siddell, a choral music education major."

West's "Chanson D'Automne" and Boyd's "Sleep My Love" make up the "Something New" section of the concert. "Something Borrowed (and New)" will feature "A Prayer Song," by Tuschhoff, which Durow said borrows from the tradition of Native American chants, and the piece "Wondrous Love," arranged by Siddell.

"Something Blue" will close the concert with Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" and Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo A LaTurk."

The Chamber Choir is made up of 13 members who audition to be a part of the choir. The choir performs both on and off campus to many different audiences. Durow said that people should come to the concert because there is something for everyone, with the world-premiere compositions, vocal jazz and classical pieces.

The Chamber Choir will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 18 in the Robert F. and Gertrude L. Shuck Music Recital Hall. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the River Campus box office or at rivercampusevents.com.