Chadron State Choir sings its way into Spring concert

A total of 39 Chadron students in the men’s ensemble, women’s choir, and concert choir performed a successful choir concert at Chadron Arts Center Sunday afternoon according to conductor Una Taylor.

Chadron State’s women’s choir, Arioso, toured in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria during March and delivered over half a dozen performances on the choir’s first-ever foreign tour.

“We’ve been preparing since the beginning of the semester and they performed very well today,” Taylor said.

The performance consisted of 26 songs ranging from traditional spirituals to contemporary tunes.

One of the most entertaining pieces was an Australian choral work called “Past Life Melodies” by Sarah Hopkins. The a capella choir utilized several non-traditional vocal qualities including open-throat chanting, earthy vocal drones, Aboriginal inspired chant and harmonic overtone singing that resembled the sound of a didgeridoo.

“The kids have been working hard and the crowd enjoyed themselves,” conductor Joel Schreuder said.

The CSC Wind Symphony will join the Community Symphonic Band for a concert Tuesday, and the CSC instrumental and vocal jazz ensembles will perform April 29. Both events begins at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall.