On the Rise—Choir’s First Christmas Concert Under New Leadership

Singing a mix of classic carols, religious compositions and even a sea shanty, the Rockhurst Choral Program performed their annual Christmas Concert in the Rose Theatre. They sold nearly 1500 tickets for the two packed performances on Dec. 8.

At both the 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. showings, Freshman Choir, Advanced Choir, Chamber Choir and Concert Choir sang a total of 13 songs, making for a full program that’s become a Rockhurst tradition over the years. At the same time, this new year brought changes, with the departure of beloved 14-year choral director Samuel Anderson, and Josh Lawlor, bringing a new generation of choir leaders to the forefront.

“It’s an honor to take over such a wonderful tradition,” said Dr. Kevin Coker, Rockhurst’s new choir director. “I’m lucky enough to hear them every day and to hear how wonderful their performance can be. From a director’s standpoint, when you’re on the stage, having them share that level of performance with the audience is your goal… and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to be a part of that.”

For this year’s concert, expectations were high as ever, with nearly nonstop practice over the past couple of months to learn and perfect several songs, many in different languages or with different voices singing multiple parts simultaneously .

“I feel really confident going into it,” said choir president Barrett Brewer before the concert. “The only day we’ve had off [since the fall choir concert] was when the USA played in the World Cup, so, yeah, I think we’re prepared.”

For sophomore Jack Manning, the changes this year’s Christmas Concert brought took some warming up to.

“Last year’s concert definitely had a more serious feeling about it. I feel like this year we really got to connect with the crowd, and at first I didn’t like that, but when we actually did it, I really loved the change. It really brought a new level of connectivity.”

To kick off the concert, all members of the Rockhurst choir program sang the opening song, “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” from various areas of the Rose Theatre, creating an atmosphere where the music and voices enveloped the audience from every side.

Soon after, the freshmen found themselves alone on the stage, singing traditional carols, “My Dancing Day” and “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” but also adding in an unexpected twist: “Sing Me A Song of A Lad That Is Gone,” a sea shanty.

“It was a little weird that we’re the only choir not singing [all] Christmas song[s], but in the end, I think the sea shanty fits well in there,” said Tom Fimmen, a freshman singing in both Freshman and Chamber Choir. “Freshman Choir did really well, and I really liked our songs, and how they were working tonight.”

Weaved throughout each choir group’s performance were personal reflections from students, speaking about how choir impacted their lives inside and out of school, making them more grateful for what they had. One freshman, George Besch, spoke about how singing in choir requires a group effort, reminding him that we’re bigger than ourselves, while a sophomore, Brady Batz, spoke about the growth in community he felt in Choir, and how it helped him understand what it means to be a “Man for Others”.

When Advanced Choir (mostly made up of sophomores) followed the freshmen’s performance, they sung more modern sounding songs, like “Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow,” and classics like “The First Noel,” but to the tune of Pachebel’s famous “Canon in D Major”. Accompanied by sophomore Soren Ursick playing Pachebel on the violin, Advanced Choir provided a surprising new take on one of the most well known Christmas songs.

One song, “Riu, Riu, Chiu,” a Spanish carol, involved clapping and several voices singing multiple parts at the same time, bringing a new level of difficulty to a song that the sophomores seemed to execute with little flaws.

Chamber Choir, a select group of singers that one must audition for, sang two songs, both returnees, and ones that more than a few voices called their favorites.

The first, “Lo, how a rose e’re blooming,” was a nostalgic one, sung in a softer tone, and one of the more emotional songs sung throughout the concert. Right after, however, “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” jolted the audience from deep thought straight into the Christmas spirit. This song, sung in almost a 50s doo-wop style, was surely the most energetic song sung during the performance, and helped create a nice variety of songs one might not see at a typical Christmas concert, a sentiment that many family and friends in the audience echoed.

“I thought they did very, very, well,” said Betty Conway, grandmother of freshmen Will Robertson and Liam Conway. “And the boys, they are just so impressive in their tuxedos and with their manners.”

However, at the same time, some choir members noticed a few mistakes during their performance of “Holly Jolly” during the first concert, with a few singers off key and forgetting their cues. After a quick Chamber Choir meeting in between the six and eight o’clock performances, however, they were able to iron out their bumps, singing with ease during the second performance.

“I think we’re extra critical of ourselves and that’s what makes us good,” said sophomore Jack Brackett, “That’s how we get better. We go out, come to the second concert stronger than we came in the first one, and knock it out of the ballpark.”

Concert Choir, made up of only juniors and seniors, sang three songs, “The Sleigh,” “There is Faint Music,” and a Latin chant, “Non Nobis, Domine.”

The first song, “The Sleigh,” moved along at a very fast tempo, slowing and speeding up like the movements of a sleigh itself, and bringing in multiple voices singing at the same time.

“There is Faint Music,” was more contemplative, and like the name suggests, used soft sounds often to connect with the audience.

“I thought it was absolutely wonderful,” said Sharon Hemme, grandmother of senior Gage Heueisen. “It was very moving, and I just love it when [Dr. Coker] puts all those voices together.”

The final Concert Choir song, “Non, Nobis, Domine,” sung in Latin, sounded almost like a medieval chant, and brought along a nice use of harmony and multiple voices to flow along well.

To close the concert, all Choir singers sung the final song, “In This Very Room,” a hopeful sounding religious hymn, once again enveloping the room in song from all sides. Many audience members described this song as their favorite, because of past personal connections to the song, and the emphasis it placed on finding joy in life through Jesus.

For junior Dom Yarbrough, a member of both Chamber and Concert Choir, the night was a resounding success.

“We had nothing but high expectations, to be honest. Our expectations for ourselves are just gonna keep rising more and more after every concert.”

While it might have been a bittersweet night for the seniors, as it was their last Rockhurst Christmas Concert, the night was a moment of pride, standing in the shoes of Rockhurst singers before them.

“When you’re younger, you look up to those older guys and you’re just like, ‘Man, I really can’t wait till the day that we’re them, and they all sound so amazing,’” said senior Tony Orrick, choir vice-president and Chamber Choir member. “Then, you get to that point where you’re sounding that amazing, but no one’s above you anymore, so you’re then setting the bar and that expectation. It’s nice to finally be in that position, like all the great singers and leaders that came before us.”

Choir’s next concert is on March 7, right back in the Rose Theatre. The Christmas Concert performance set expectations sky high for the future, and everything the Rockhurst Choral Program will soon bring.

For Jack Ryan, a family friend of sophomore Reed Robinson, that time can’t come soon enough.

“I’m coming in the spring. I’ve already invited myself.”