By Mackenzie Clark
The fall 2011 season proved successful for the music department, ending with a series of concerts that left most listeners wanting more.
Chamber Choir and MadRegalia, the college’s group of six madrigal singers, performed their final show of the semester Dec.1. Under conductor Geoffrey Wilcken and with Kerri Schiflett accompanying, they performed holiday music from around the world.
Wilcken, adjunct professor of music, normally serves as the choir’s accompanist, but said he loved filling in for the normal conductor, Terri Teal, who is currently on sabbatical.
“I’ve enjoyed both of the choir performances very greatly,” Wilcken said. “Those have been a great deal of fun to do. These are wonderful students, and their energy and eagerness to soak up musical power is a very feeding thing.”
Particularly stunning for audience members were MadRegalia’s performance of “Night of Silence,” by Daniel Kantor, and the Chamber Choir’s “Dona Nobis Pacem,” written by Wilcken himself. “Night of Silence” takes inspiration from “Silent Night,” the traditional Christmas song. “Dona Nobis Pacem” translates from Latin to “Give us peace.”
The choir is usually invited to sing at College President Terry Calaway’s State of the College address. Wilcken composes a new piece for the choir each time.
“Sometimes Dr. Teal pulls something of mine, or asks me to write something else for a program, because she knows I will, and I can,” Wilcken said. “I like to.”
Ron Stinson, professor of instrumental music, titled the concert band’s Dec. 6 show “Different Voices” after one of the pieces they performed, which depicts different aspects of the human voice.
“The people not only had to play their instruments, they had to do some whispering,” Stinson said.
Also, the piece “Sky Dance” by Richard Saucedo featured different, complicated rhythms all being played at once.
“It sounds very mixed up, but that’s the way it’s supposed to sound,” Stinson said.
Student Andrew Delaorra said his favorite song the concert band performed is “St. Florian Chorale,” by Thomas Doss.
“It’s very choir like, meaning that you have to play very softly, and you want to think more beautiful sound, more continuity within the sound,” Delaorra said. “[Stinson] helps us to realize our goal by giving us different pieces of music which challenge us in different ways.”
Delaorra has greatly enjoyed the challenges and rewards that have come with his experience in the Music department at the college.
“[Stinson] is probably the most interactive music teacher I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’ve been involved in music since grade school because I was forced to, and then I ended up really liking it, so that actually helped me out. I’ve had good music professors but nobody like Ron Stinson, and I really have to give him credit.”
Jazz Night on Dec. 7 featured the faculty jazz combo and the Midnight Express student jazz ensemble. For this show, Stinson selected pieces from the 70s and 80s, as well as “White Christmas,” by Irving Berlin, arranged by Mark Taylor, in the spirit of the holidays.
Now the students and faculty have the spring semester to look forward to. Coming up Friday, Jan. 20 is the Jazz Winterlude. High school bands are invited to the college to perform for adjudicators at the college who will rate their performances, then give them a 30-minute clinic with tips for improvement. This year, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, two of whom are sons of the jazz legend Dave Brubeck, will also be giving clinics later that evening.
Then, Saturday, Jan. 21, several local jazz groups will perform. That evening will feature Poncho Sanchez, Latin jazz band leader and salsa singer.
The next opportunity to hear all the voices and music of the college will be March 6, 7 and 8, when the concert band, jazz band, and choirs, respectively, will perform, all starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Polsky Theatre, free of cost.
Any students who would like to get involved in the Music department are encouraged to contact Ron Stinson at rstinson@jccc.edu.
Contact Mackenzie Clark, features editor, at mclark68@jccc.edu.