The orchestra inside man: NGU’s new Choral Arts Society
Keely Lyons, Staff Writer
An intelligible tapestry of thoughts and emotions move on waves of frequency, arming themselves with the noble sword of the poet’s pen to soften the heart of stone and raise the chin of the lowest soul. This is the power of choral music, and all students, faculty and Tigerville community are invited to sing in unison.
On Aug. 22 2022, North Greenville University will begin its first rehearsal for The NGU Choral Arts Society. The Cline School of Music will require an audition process for all participants beginning in the month of May.
Greg Graf, director of choral activities and assistant professor of music, will be conducting the new choral society and spearheading the endeavor.
The new society will intermingle a multi-generational body of people who are united by a passion for music and its communicative qualities. Graf said, “We are making music with the most intimate of instruments, and that is the human voice which is the only instrument that God created and it’s the only instrument that’s housed within our bodies.”
Participants from all walks of life will be able to work together as a team and blend together through the use of pitch, dynamics, vowels, rhythm, and tempo to create an orchestra of voices.
The human voice, in itself, is an orchestra. One thing that distinguishes the voice from other instruments is the use of vowels and consonants. The voice also has the ability to sound like other instruments, said Graf.
While the sound rides on the vowel, consonants make the sound intelligible. “Ihh–i–ih-ah-ahhy–oh–ahh, ou ouh uhah ah ahhy–ih. What I just said was, ‘If I didn’t say any consonants, you wouldn’t understand a word that’s coming out of my mouth,” said Graf.
Consonants are also important, as they give emotions and emphasis to speech and song. Graf said, “If I’m handed a lollipop, I would say ‘thank youuu.’ If I’m handed $10,000 I’m gonna say, ‘THank Youuu.”
Music, a pillar in every culture and time period, reflects society’s current worldview and the artist’s psyche. Graf said, “When humanity has time and space to create, rather than to subsist and survive, cultural musical creativity flourishes.”
Beethoven and Chopin were the pop music of the romantic period. Everyone wanted to go to the symphony hall, yet it was usually only rich folk who could afford a ticket, said Graf, showing a timeline of music on his office wall.
Pointing past the timeline of the romantic period, Graf said, “Somewhere in here, music began to not sound pretty to the masses. People lost interest in it, and it was because composers here (before) were writing for the public. They were choosing subject matters that appealed to the common man.”
In contrast, people lost interest as composers started to write more for themselves, writing for their own cerebral enjoyment, treating the endeavor as more of a sterile science experiment, said Graf.
Choral music speaks deeply, sometimes beyond the words of the music alone. In a past rehearsal Graf conducted, he encountered a piece that was dissonant and difficult to sing, and it was later revealed the author was going through a difficult divorce at the time of its writing. Music always has a story behind it, said Graf.
The choral society will encourage participants to delve into the subject of music from both analytical and deeply human elements. Graf said, “It’s a body of knowledge that is worthy of our time and attention, yes. Not just because it improves math scores.”
To audition, individuals must complete the Choral Arts Society audition interest form. The audition itself will have three phases:
1. Solo
The auditionee will either prepare a genre-appropriate solo of their choice or sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
2. Musicianship
The auditionee must complete a total memory exercise and a sight reading test.
3. Q&A
The conductor will have a chance to sit down and get to know you, as well as answer whatever questions you may have.
The NGU Choral Arts Society seeks to enrich the lives of students who want to participate and use their voice to their fullest potential, but haven’t been able to in the past with their many duties and activities. Because of this, the choir will meet on Mondays from 7:30 p.m to 9:30 p.m.
*Featured Image: Graphic courtesy of the Cline School of Music.
