Over one hundred choral ensembles gathered at the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductor’s Association (MICCA) Choral Festival on the weekend of April 3, 4 and 5. Only a handful of the ensembles walked away with a Gold Medal Superior Rating. The ARHS Hurricane Singers ensemble was one of the select few and Choral Director Anita Cooper is delighted: "We have had a wonderful year with our choral groups being recognized on the state level by several respected organizations."
Cooper started the Hurricane Singers ensemble six years ago, when she realized that there were "so many talented women and only a few places for them" in an auditioned ensemble. At that time, Chorale was the only such group. Adding the Hurricane Singers created a new opportunity for 25 female voices. Consisting entirely of sopranos and altos, the Hurricane Singers ensemble performs a larger variety of styles of music than does the Chorale or the Concert Choir. Senior Lauren Wilfong enjoys being a member of Hurricane Singers because they produce "something greater than the sum of its parts--there is a fullness of sound and complexity of harmonies that cannot be produced in a solo or even duet." Cooper points out that their voices can handle pop and Broadway music very well. And, she jokes, "they sing in heels!"
This year’s MICCA Choral Festival was held at several sites across the state. ARHS attended the festival at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, MA. Ensembles were required to present three pieces of varying styles and language, along with one required acappella selection and one selection from a standard list of choral repertoire. The ARHS Hurricane Singers chose to perform Exsultate Justi by Lodovico Grossi da Viadana, Faith is the Bird that Feels the Light by Elizabeth Alexander, and A Girl’s Garden (from Frostiana) by Randall Thompson. Each ensemble was judged on tone, phrasing, musicianship, diction, repertoire, and level of difficulty.
Every ensemble had a workshop after their performance, a photo opportunity and the chance to see many other school groups perform. Performing Arts Department Head John Bechtold sees great value in sending students to this type of event. "Aside from putting an objective and critically valuable lens on the quality of our music ensembles, our students benefit from the experience of presentation to people who know their stuff in the music world," Bechtold said. "They receive valuable feedback and get a perspective on their work that goes beyond an academic setting and into a more professional one."
Due to their Superior Rating, the ensemble was invited to sing at the Gold Medal All-Stars concert at Symphony Hall in Boston later this month. They will not be able to perform at the concert, however, due to Spring break travel plans. You can hear the ensemble perform locally at the choral/orchestra concert on Thursday, May 28th at 7:30 p.m. in the ARHS auditorium.
Listening to the Hurricane Singers, one quickly sees that the ensemble is a tight-knit group. Bechtold underscores the importance of the sense of community that is built both within the group and across groups as they convene at an all-state event. According to Bechthold, this "happens in few realms outside of the arts." As Wilfong sums it up, "Being part of a musical force is pretty cool."