Moorpark College choirs were thrilled to see recognition from a full house in Moorpark’s main theater Oct 2. The Fall Debut Choir Concert, directed by Vail Keck, featured performances from Concert Choir, Vocal Ensemble, Vocal Jazz, Men’s Acappella, and more. The concert gave insight to jazz, world, gospel, and classical genres of music.
To kick off the evening, Concert Choir sang, ‘Sorida’, a greeting familiar in Zimbabwe. The Concert Choir carried strong vocals throughout the entire act but the first song stood out among the rest.
Although all the choirs only had six weeks to prepare for the concert, the audience seemed pleased.
“Singing only in this short amount of time, they were really good,” said Marylou Fulton, a 42-year-old nursing major. “I love the way their voices go together in harmony.”
Masterworks Chorale, as well as Vocal Ensemble, supplied translations during their programs so that audience members could better understand the foreign songs. Masterworks Chorale sang in both German and Latin.
Vocal Ensemble followed an elegant performance by Masterworks Chorale with gospel, and then moved into a more upbeat sound. Congas, shakers, maracas, and bongos blended with the intensity of the choir and were all used in order for Vocal Ensemble to gain a tribal rhythm.
“I dig just hearing everybody at once,” said 19-year-old art major, Justin Ellis, of Moorpark College.
Although both the Vocal Jazz and Men’s Acappella are voluntary choir groups, they still performed at the Fall Debut Choir Concert and will perform in future concert choirs. They sang John Lennon’s “In My Life”, as well as Paich and Porcao’s “12:30 Flight”.
“The men’s group that I was in was just fantastic. We worked really hard on it,” said a Men’s Acappella member and 19-year-old music major, Dave Bloom, “There’s no better feeling than doing well.”
To conclude the night the Combined Choirs came together to sing Beethoven’s famous Hallelujah from Mount of Olives. The next Moorpark College Choir concert will be held on Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
