BYU’s Women’s Chorus, Men’s Chorus, Concert Choir and BYU Singers will demonstrate their vocal talents in an evening of sacred music.
As the days grow shorter and the evenings cooler, there’s nothing to warm the soul like good music. This month, BYU’s four auditioned choirs—Women’s Chorus, Men’s Chorus, Concert Choir and BYU Singers—will be performing sacred music that is sure to captivate audiences in their fall showcase.
Brent Wells, director of Concert Choir and Men’s Chorus, said that the concert is “a little teaser—a taste of what’s to come for each ensemble” later in the semester. And this teaser will give more than a preview of upcoming concerts; the following weekend after the choir showcase, all four choirs will be singing in the Saturday Evening session of General Conference.
“It’s all sacred music,” said BYU Singers director Andrew Crane. “Since we need to sing all the General Conference music at this concert, [it’s] kind of a practice run.”
The concert will feature two pieces sung by each individual choir as well as the five choral pieces that the four groups will sing during General Conference.
“The music that we selected for General Conference was in consultation with the people up in Salt Lake; what kind of hymns we needed to choose and which kind of arrangements,” said Crane.
After a year of singing at half numbers, the choir directors and their students are excited to be singing at full capacity again.
“Last semester it felt like making music was a real blessing for a lot of the students—allowing them to sing and express themselves through soulful repertoire and that poetry,” said Wells. “The spirit of that music was a strength to a lot of them. . . . We thought that it would be great to start the year off in that same vein.”
Sonja Poulter, the Women’s Chorus director, said, “I believe that in a time of plagues, natural disasters, war and so much contention, we can find comfort in the promises of God to keep us safe.” She continued, “What is more appropriate than giving Him the glory in all and singing praises?”
Crane said that he hopes audiences “will feel the spirit of the hymns and the other selections that we’ll be singing.”
Poulter added that she hopes audiences will enjoy “some of the most beautiful sacred music our church has to offer” and feel that the Savior’s promise of peace in John 14:27 is real: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Join the BYU Choirs on September 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are available at arts.byu.edu.