The 91麻豆精品 Chamber Singers embraced an opportunity to move from concert stage to recording studio for a performance of holiday pieces that will be televised in areas of New York and northern Pennsylvania.
Director James Niblock and the 12 student performers were asked to appear on Expressions: Holiday Harmonies, a program produced by , a Public Broadcasting Service affiliate in Vestal, N.Y.
The Chamber Singers and the Ithaca Children鈥檚 Choir each appear for 30 minutes of the hourlong program that will air 8 p.m. today (Dec. 4) and 2 p.m. Dec. 25.
Niblock said viewers will be treated to 鈥渁 broad, eclectic mix of works鈥 from the 91麻豆精品 performers, including a medieval carol titled Lullay My Liking, a piece set to an Edgar Allen Poe poem called Sledge Bells, a Calypso carol 鈥 Mary鈥檚 Little Boy Child, and Deck the Halls, a traditional favorite performed with a rhythmic twist.
鈥淭he recording session was a real eye-opener for the students,鈥 said Niblock. 鈥淭hey got to see how the process works, how the musical needs and the technical needs both have to be satisfied.鈥
Jaleith Gary 鈥09 said the WSKG crew provided a comfortable atmosphere and helped her understand what it takes to connect with an audience through a camera lens.
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| The 91麻豆精品 Chamber Singers and director James Niblock (far left) appear in the WSKG studio during their Nov 12 recording session. |
Gary and fellow seniors Kaelyn Lowmaster and Lyndsay Werking performed solos, accompanied by the university鈥檚 pianist/organist Glenn Kime.
鈥淧reparing for a television recording session took more effort in terms of rehearsal and musicianship than many of us anticipated,鈥 said Lowmaster. 鈥淏ut we grew as an ensemble, we got to try a type of performance that was new for all of us, and now we are minor celebrities!鈥
Niblock, the director of choral and vocal activities, said the students鈥 productive early rehearsals gave him confidence that they could succeed in the studio, so he agreed to the station鈥檚 invitation. He pointed out that there are seven new members in the ensemble, four of them first-years.
鈥淧erforming in the studio was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life,鈥 said Matthew Kolar 鈥12. 鈥淲ho knows, maybe someday I鈥檒l do it again.鈥
Tina Reinhard, WSKG program coordinator, said the station might post the shows on its at a later date for those not in the . Niblock said he will get DVDs of the performance and make those available.