ISU Choirs perform

Choral music is varied and versatile, and with the several hundred years’ worth of music sampled from for the Idaho State University Choirs Mid-Winter Concert this is readily apparent.
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1, in Jensen Grand Concert Hall inside the Stephens Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for faculty and staff, $4 for pre-college students, and free for ISU students. Tickets can be purchased through the ISU box office in the PAC or online at www.isu.edu/tickets.
“We have a huge variety of music,” said Scott Anderson, director of choral activities. “It’s 16th century renaissance to contemporary folk songs.”
The three choirs performing are the 52 voice ISU Chamber Choir, the 22 voice ISU Concert Choir and the ISU Women’s Choir with about 40 voices.
One piece Anderson emphasized was “Cloudburst” by Eric Whitacre, a contemporary composer, which will be performed by the concert choir. The song imitates the atmosphere and sound of a thunderstorm.
“[Cloudburst] is a Spanish poem that talks about the natural effects of all things,” said Anderson. “It’s a sonic experience.”
The chamber choir will be performing a vocal jazz arrangement and two Italian madrigals. One of the madrigals, “Si ch’io vorrei morire,” was written by Claudio Monteverdi.
Madrigals were essentially the pop songs of the renaissance, with some more racy than others.
“Monteverdi was kind of the hot-blooded Latin of the day,” said Anderson.
Professor Kathleen Lane will lead the ISU Women’s Choir.
Before and during the performance, the concert choir will be holding a silent auction to help support activities for the year.
The performance will last about an hour.