How do we open ourselves? We open our hearts. We open our souls. Find out through beautiful musical journey by attending UW’s top ensemble’s, Collegiate Chorale, performance entitled “Collegiate Chorale by Candlelight.”
This annual event will be held in the St. Matthews Church Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. both nights.
“It’s not really a concert, per say,” Director of Collegiate Chorale, Dr. Nicole Lamartine said. “But I like to think of it as an experience, or a journey. That the listener goes through.”
Lamartine works every year to decide on a particular theme for the concert, as it is her favorite of the year.
“The phrase ‘The Opening’ came to me this summer and I thought well how do we open ourselves?” Lamartine said. “And how does that opening challenge us as human beings and how does it allow us to be better human beings when we do allow ourselves to open.”
This performance is a community event, and all are encouraged to attend as there will be a variety of pieces performed including a Basque piece. Basque is a culture between the border of France and Spain, as well as modern pieces such as Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.”
“So, each part of the concert is exploring a different type of opening,” Lamartine said. “We start with this idea that we are broken and cracked and that we open our hearts and we open the gate of heaven, and we open the soul and we find that that opening reflects love and that change begins with love.”
The works that are to be performed cover a plethora of cultures and time periods. Including a Goran chant to a twentieth century minimalist piece, which has no words.
With four pieces from the Social Justice choir, a group of composers who publish pieces of music that can be used for social justice movements or other choral performances. These excellent pieces of music are all free with a specific message for each.
“Chorale by Candlelight is often mistaken for a Christmas concert, but it is so much more than that,” senior performer, Hannah Green, said. “It’s a time for us as humans to simply be together and feel peace, hope, joy, and love. And the beauty of it is portrayed in music.”
This performance will be held in the St. Matthew’s Cathedral because it is a beautiful venue. Lamartine included that it holds a sense of intimacy in the atmosphere as it only holds 220 people. With the close proximately it is impossible to have a bad seat.
“In that venue, the choir is able to, not just stand and sing at the front, but be a part of the audience and be a part of the experience,” Lamartine said. “So, we do a lot of what I call surround sound singing where we’re, you know, surrounding the audience or through the audience or in the audience.”
This year will be the ninth annual “Collegiate Chorale by Candlelight.” Lamartine, known to her students as Dr. La, felt that Collegiate Chorale needed an opportunity for a spotlight performance in this season.
“I started it because when I got here to UW everybody did the Holiday Gala and it was just so long. The concert was so long,” Lamartine said. “I felt like I could craft an experience for them that was educational and emotionally challenging and that would invite the community to different experience.”
Tickets are ten dollars for general admittance, seven dollars for seniors, and six dollars for students. All the proceeds will go to the UW Department of Music.
