MU Singers Perform at their annual Festival of Lessons and Carols
MANHATTAN UNIVERSITY/FACEBOOK
Joshua Reichard Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
With the beginning of the spring semester, Manhattan University’s (MU) Singers, the school’s choir, prepares for new events and initiatives. As they get back into the swing of things, The Quadrangle spoke with Singers to reflect on their success from the fall and to get insight into what’s next for the group.
Singers is a traditional SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) choir that performs at multiple campus events throughout the year and hosts its own concerts open to the public. Andrew Bauer, director of the performing arts department and Singers, spoke about the group’s plans for the spring semester.
“We do an annual spring concert, a joint concert between Singers and [the] Orchestra, we often also perform at churches in the New York City area, in particular St. Paul’s church in Lincoln Center,” Bauer said.
Many members of the Singers are also involved in the MU Players musical production of Into the Woods, including Bauer, who serves as the musical director for the performance.
“We’re excited for our spring musical, which is Into the Woods,” Bauer said. “That’s going to be a great performance.”
While they look ahead to new events, the Singers are still proud of the work that was done during the fall semester, particularly their Festival of Lessons and Carols, a concert held last December in The Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers. Isabella Suero, a senior sociology major and the co-president of MU Singers, touched on the work behind the event.
“We put a lot of time and effort into Lessons and Carols,” Suero said. “I’m extremely proud of my choir. Everyone did such an amazing job.”
The Singers Festival of Lessons and Carols was especially meaningful for Suero, as it was her final one before graduation.
“It’s just such a proud moment, especially being a senior,” Suero said. “This was my fourth Lessons and Carols. I’ve done it every single year. It’s bittersweet, being my last one, but it turned out so well. We were also featured on News 12, which was really cool. We got a lot of praise.”
Looking ahead, Suero spoke about a possible performance of Fauré’s Requiem Mass at the spring concert.
“We have a big spring concert, typically we try to do an entire piece,” Suero said. “Hopefully, this year we will be performing the entire Fauré’s Requiem Mass. There’s still a lot of tweaking to do because we also have to consider the orchestra… There’s a lot that goes into the songs we do.”
Many newer members of Singers are also looking forward to what the club has in store for the spring semester. Sophia Whitmore, a freshman education major, spoke to The Quadrangle about the things she anticipates from this club.
“I’m very excited, I liked doing Lessons and Carols, so I’m excited to see what kind of concert we do at the end of the semester,” Whitmore said. “I like learning new music.”
MU Singers is open for new members at the start of each semester and encourages anyone interested in singing with the group to attend rehearsals on Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Thomas Hall.
“Anyone from the community who is interested in joining, now would be a good time, since it’s the beginning of the semester,” Bauer said. “We’re open for new members.”