The University of Connecticut College of Fine Arts Department of Music hosted the Fall 2024 Songfest Concert on Sunday, October 6, in Von der Meeden Recital Hall, showcasing the vocal talents of the university’s music majors.
Songfest is a twice-yearly event sponsored by the department, with one concert each semester featuring singers and vocal music students.
This semester’s Songfest focused on the work of Danbury, Connecticut-born composer Charles Ives. Charles Ives is known for his compositions in the modernist genres of classical music and chamber music in the early 1900s. This month marks the 150th anniversary of Ives’ birth in 1874, and his work has been chosen as the theme for this semester’s concert.
The concert began with opening remarks from Neely Bruce, a composer and music professor at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., who is considered an expert on Ives’ music. In his opening remarks, he spoke about Ives’ lyrics and the various influences that went into them, including newspaper texts, poetry, foreign languages, input from relatives, and Ives’ own philosophical and theological thinking. . Bruce also gave a brief description of each song, including a brief overview of the lyrics and musical elements, giving a preview of the various music to come.
“We have enough songs today to make a microcosm of Ives’ work,” he said. “You’ll hear all kinds of songs, long, short, and everything in between.”
The performance featured 29 songs composed by Ives, performed by 26 students. The performers ranged from first-year undergraduate students to graduate students. Each student had piano accompaniment from Dmitry Grivinsky, music director of the University Opera Program.
Many of the songs performed were only 1-2 minutes long, giving each student a short opportunity to perform. The show moved quickly with short songs and quick changes to keep the audience engaged.
Although the songs were short in length, many featured the complex, dynamic arrangements in which the students sang fluid vocal lines over a sometimes dissonant and ever-changing piano part, a trademark of Ives’ compositions. It was. However, the students did not let the complexity of the piece affect their performance and performed with a strong vocal command that demonstrated their dedication to their craft.
Neely Bruce opened Songfest by discussing his lyrics and the influences behind them. Photo by uconnmusicdept on Instagram.
The songs ranged from upbeat and bouncy tunes to slow, gentle ballads, often set next to each other, and kept the audience captivated in anticipation of what would come next. Students also demonstrated a variety of vocal ranges, from high-pitched soprano to low-pitched bass and baritone.
One of the highlights of the concert was Maya Breed, a third-semester music major, and a performance of her song “Memories.” The song contains two distinct sections, a fast-paced first half and a slower, more emotional second half. Breed’s performance was dynamic and engaging, showcasing her voice’s wide range and ability to switch between two sections without making a mistake.
Another highlight was the song “In the Alley” performed by 7th semester music major Lancele Ante. He sang the song in a warm, Broadway-like baritone, filling the recital hall with his flowing lines.
