We are making great progress on this work. You can read a previous post about it here and listen to a recording of Ole Miss singing it here. 
Katie posted her Paris pictures here. She's got some good ones. Looking at them makes me miss Katie, Megan, and Zach this year.some people at the pool are really rude to the lifeguards. Which I don’t think is a very good idea because what if you drown? That lifeguard that you were just rude to and talked to with no respect may save you… but then again… may not.Choir notes:
we would like to have the UAB Concert Choir sing for the annual Alumni Awards Luncheon again this year. The luncheon will be on Tuesday, September 20th at Noon at The Club. You all did a great job last year and we would like you to do the same thing this year. One selection of your own plus the UAB Alma Mater at the end. You will only have approximately 6-8 minutes of singing this year. Please let me know if you are able to participate in this again this year.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me.
Thanks!
Susan Kelley
University Events Specialist
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
(205) 934-0771
In May, the UAB Concert Choir brought international acclaim to
The choir is directed by
Two other music faculty members accompanied the choir on the trip:
“from the moment we boarded the bus in
Choir competitions are rare in the
Fourteen musical works, with all but one unaccompanied, takes an enormous amount of preparation and dedication. UAB Concert Choir members devote six hours of rehearsal each week to be a part of the ensemble on top of all their other schoolwork. “The music we sing is quite advanced in difficulty,” said Copeland, “It has to be when you are in competition with other great choirs of the world.”
Being selected to compete in the
The competition’s generosity deferred a small portion of the trip cost and the students paid the rest. “It was difficult for most of our students to come up with the funds required for overseas travel,” Copeland said, “I think they will all agree that it was worth every penny.”
The choir and director felt they delivered their best performance on the evening of the first day. Delia Charest, a graduating senior at UAB, called the first evening’s performance the “concert of her life.”
“It was the best we had ever sung; we held the audience in complete awe and want for more—we could hear the audience breathe a sigh when our softest song was over. The uproar after we finished the spiritual was just amazing,” she said. “I’ll never forget what happened afterwards: people who could not speak any English came up to tell us how much we moved them. One precious little French man told us that the spirit was with us . . . all around us.”
Dr. Copeland recalls the same evening:
“Competition really heightens the natural joy of performing; it brings a new edge to the art. The choir experienced performances and audiences like they had never seen before. In the Saturday night performance, I could actually hear the audience holding their breath as we sang the most intimate moments of the work. As a conductor, I've been taught to stretch the audience and their emotions to the breaking point . . . . and I tried to do just that. There wasn't a sound in the entire auditorium as the sopranos held their note perfectly until the choir (finally) entered beautifully on the last cadence. It was a moment that I will never forget. And then—the spiritual. The audience went crazy following our performance of I Thank You Jesus—it was thunderous. Afterwards, the students were ecstatic about their singing and many wept as they hugged one another. It was very, very special.”
The choir competed in two categories and made it to the finals in both. “It’s clear from the judging sheets and comments that we were in a position to win the entire competition,” said Copeland. He continued, “I couldn’t be prouder of our students and I’m glad to have won this recognition for UAB.”
Many of the UAB students were surprised at how well they were received in
“The people in
One of the highlights of the trip was the opportunity to perform in the historic Cathedral of Notre Dame. To be considered for a performance, choirs must submit recordings and planned concert repertoire. “The performance in Notre Dame was very meaningful for our students,” said Dr. Copeland, “I was thoroughly impressed with their depth of understanding and spirituality regarding the concert.”
Performing in Notre Dame made a distinct impression on Erin Pair. She remembers that “her breath was taken away because of the vastness of the cathedral and the knowledge that millions of prayers are still lingering from all the people who were there before --- it was the most amazing feeling in the world.”
Charles Henry had a similar experience:
“It was difficult to fathom the beauty and majesty of Notre Dame. As we sang from the sanctuary steps, I kept thinking that we were singing the same language and scripture that had been echoed throughout those halls for centuries before us.”
Katie Movelle calls singing in Notre Dame the “singularly most incredible moment of my life.”
“The stained glass and stone angels behind Dr. Copeland’s head as we performed made God’s presence so much more real. When I returned to Notre Dame later in the week, I realized how privileged we were to have seen the back rooms and basements of the ancient cathedral.”
The concert following the Notre Dame experience was also noteworthy, but for a different reason. This concert, in the modern Chapelle Sainte Rita, was attended by about 250 music loving members of the community. The choir was well pleased with their performance and impressed with the spirit of the people who attended the concert.
Jonathan Hood, pre-nursing major, described the concert as “one of those experiences that will stick with me forever.“
“Our songs truly touched the people of this tiny French church. As we sang, it was apparent that God was working in that place. People were coming in off the streets in the middle of the concert. My entire trip was completely amazing but something happened in that church that I will never forget and I am truly thankful for the experience.”
It was what happened at the end of the concert, however, that everyone remembers. Holly Sawardecker relates the experience:
“At the end of the concert, the choir left the auditorium and headed downstairs into the holding area where we began congratulating each other on our performance. The girls took off their shoes and the guys removed their jackets. About 3 or 4 minutes had passed since our last note. Suddenly, Ms. Reynolds came in yelling “Get back out there NOW! They’re still clapping!”
“We couldn’t believe it. As we took the stage again, many of us looked out into the crowd. All eyes were on us and the clapping had become chanting. We were adored by complete strangers. They could see our surprise and smiled broadly as if to say ‘No, really, we want to hear more.’ Never before had we been received so enthusiastically!”
“Hurriedly, we got to the stage . . . those that were completely dressed took the stage first and the rest followed. It was an amazing experience.”
David Berg, freshman music major from
The trip to
Katie Movelle found that her French language skills sometimes failed her:
“Traipsing around
Charles Henry identified with some famous visitors to
“I love a quote I found from Ernest Hemingway, ‘If you are lucky enough to have lived in
“And what a feast it was. The sights, sounds, smells and the ambience of being in a different world was electric. I can remember every second of every day as if I am still there. I may have left
Any trip overseas is likely to change a person’s perception of the world, and this one certainly did for UAB students and faculty. However, this trip also succeeded in adding to the growing reputation of a music program making its mark on the international stage. “I’ve been astounded at the number of invitations from other international festivals and competitions since our participation in
Rebekah Smith summed up the trip this way:
“The best thing about the trip for me was being able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with a group of people who share a passion for choral music. We came together to represent UAB and
Saturday, 5/6:
Travel Day (It is advised that participants don't schedule anything for that evening until airline tickets are issued and arrival time set).
Sunday, 5/7:
Rehearsal, 9 a.m. to noon (rehearsal place to be determined)
Monday, 5/8:
Rehearsal, 9 a.m. to noon (rehearsal place to be determined)
Tuesday, 5/9:
9 a.m. to noon, Dress Rehearsal with soloists and orchestra, Carnegie Hall
Concert time will be 2:00 p.m. '.. (It is advised that no sightseeing be planned until concert time is set). 5:30 p.m. Post Concert Dinner Cruise
Wednesday, 5/10: Travel Day
Land Package: $ 9698. Package Payment Due Dates: $100 per person due 9/1/05 $200 per person due 10/15/05 $200 per person due 11/15/05 The balance of amount owed due 2/1/06***The first $500 in payments is non-refundable
Airline Ticket: $ 369 (round trip estimate)
Shuttle Bus to Grand Hyatt: $ 31 (per person, round trip) Ticket Handling Charge $ 15 (per ticket)
