Music @ St. Lawrence University

The music department offers the following ensembles each semester. Membership in each ensemble is by audition. Students may elect to receive 0.25 unit of credit for ensemble participation. Fall 2009 audition information can be found at the end of each ensemble’s description.
LAURENTIAN SINGERS MUS021
A select choir of undergraduate student singers, the Laurentians continue a rich 63-year legacy of choral excellence, performing regularly throughout the year on campus, in the North Country, and nationally and internationally on tour during spring break. Their far-ranging repertoire is drawn from the entire span of Euro-American classical traditions as well as world and popular idioms. The Christmas section of Handel’s Messiah performed with orchestra will be featured in their holiday concerts in December. This year’s tour will bring the Singers to the cultural capitals of the Northeast, New York City and Boston, on their swing through New York and New England. “Isn’t It Romantic?” will be the title of their tour program featuring “romantic” music of the 19th Century (Brahms, Mendelssohn, Foster) and the 20th (Gershwin, Rogers, Kern).
Rehearsals: Full - Monday and Thursday, 4:30-6:00 p.m. Women - Tuesday 4:30-5:30 p.m. Men – Wednesday, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Herring Cole Hall.
Contact: Barry Torres

UNIVERSITY CHORUS MUS022
Canton’s community chorus, the UC combines the vocal talents of students, faculty and staff, and community members. They perform a varied repertoire, often with orchestral accompaniment. Last fall’s program featured the Fauré Requiem with orchestra while Opera Choruses (music of Bizet, Verdi, Mussorgsky, Mozart and others), featuring UC members as soloists, was the bill for the spring. This fall we present the music of Gustav Holst (The Hymn of Jesus) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (A Song of Thanksgiving), performed with full orchestra. Concert dates are Friday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m. in Gunnison Chapel. University Chorus also sings for the annual Candlelight Services, this year on Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
Rehearsals: Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in The Underground (Noble Center 001) - first rehearsal September 1.
Contact: Barry Torres

EARLY MUSIC SINGERS MUS023
A select small ensemble that specializes in the great vocal music of the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, EMS membership also includes faculty, staff, and community members as well as students. Rehearsals are completely a cappella (sight reading is a must) and appropriate vocal practices including just intonation are explored in the beautifully authentic-style acoustics of Gunnison Chapel. This semester’s concert will present settings of the Salve Regina by Ockeghem, DesPrez, Morales and Lasso, building on the work done last spring which focused on general skill building including sight-reading, independence of phrasing, and just intonation.
Rehearsals: Thursday, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in Gunnison Chapel.
Contact: Barry Torres

STRING ORCHESTRA MUS025
A string chamber orchestra made up of violins, violas, cellos and basses which includes university students and staff, but is also open to local community musicians and students. An informal audition is required for membership, and violinists are rotated in three sections on a semester by semester basis. The goals of the String Orchestra are to perform a diverse assortment of musical styles including classical, baroque, traditional, contemporary and popular music, using the various techniques required to play them, and to involve itself in the community by performing both on and off campus. Generally, the Fall semester is devoted to more standard repertoire, while the Spring semester focuses on lighter, more popular works. Previous program titles have included Viva Vivaldi, Mostly Mozart, A Celtic Journey: Music from Ireland and Scotland and A Tribute to John Williams. This fall the String Orchestra will combine with University Chorus, playing the music of two of England’s finest, Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Concert dates are Friday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m. in Gunnison Chapel. We also have the pleasure of working with the Alexander String Quartet in rehearsal during their yearly residency each fall semester, this year on September 17.
Rehearsals: Thursday, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in The Underground (Noble Center 001) - first rehearsal is September 10.
Contact: Christian Hosmer

CONCERT BAND MUS026
All band enthusiasts - woodwind and brass players and percussionists - are welcome to play in the Concert Band, our youngest ensemble. Membership is open to intermediate to advanced students as well as faculty, staff and community members. Concert Band explores the varied band repertoire from the 18th through the 21st Centuries. Previous programs have included Wondrous Stories: 20th and 21st Century Programmatic Music featuring contemporary works based on ancient myths. Last spring’s concert featured Ralph Vaughan Williams’ popular Folk Song Suite. This fall’s concert, which will be on Sunday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m. in Gulick Theatre, will feature music of David Holsinger, Percy Grainger, W. Francis McBeth and Howard Hanson. Woodwind and percussion players are especially welcome.
Rehearsals: Monday and Wednesday, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in The Underground (Noble Center 001)
Contact: Glenn Roberts

IMPROV LAB MUS028
Starting its third year, the popular “Lab” provides opportunities for students to individually and collectively develop their interests and skills in a variety of American vernacular musics - jazz, blues, rock, folk, hip-hop, alternative, country, bluegrass, etc. The music we pursue will be open to negotiation and largely student driven. “Ear” playing combined with varying degrees of written notation will be used to best suit the situation. All players and singers welcome. Let’s jam!
Rehearsals: Monday and Wednesday, 4:30-6:00 p.m. in The Underground (Noble Center 001)
Contact: Tim Savage