The Westminster Chamber Singers practice their repertoire for the Valentine Concert. All proceeds go toward their upcoming international tour of France. Photo by Olivia Wathne
For the past month, Westminster’s Chamber Singers have been preparing for their Valentine Concert in order to raise money for an upcoming musical tour of France.
The Chamber Singers are an elite, touring choir of students with varying musical backgrounds. Performances such as the Valentine Concert require many hours of research and practice in order to ensure success, said Chris Quinn, choir director.
“I have to research the music, choose the music and then we rehearse it and perform it,” Quinn said. “You have to know your choir. You have to know what they are capable of doing and how they’ll sound best.”
Quinn said he hopes to raise money for the group’s Bon Voyage Tour, as well as create a romantic and fun setting for students on Valentine’s weekend.
“Students can come with a boyfriend or girlfriend or by themselves,” Quinn said. “You get the gamut. You get everything from puppy love to mature love, everything in between.”
Some students are hesitant about the holiday but like the idea of a concert for a Valentine’s Day activity.
“I think Valentine’s Day is consumerism at its finest, but music pulls my heartstrings,” said Kira Jefferson, arts administration major. “I would go.”
The concert will consist mostly of solos, including a rendition of “All I Ask” by Adele and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.
Carlie Young, senior theatre performance major, will be performing a solo of “La Vie en Rose” by Edith Piaf.
“I chose [La Vie en Rose] because I’ve been singing it since junior high,” Young said. “My grandma taught it to me, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do as one of my last concerts here.”
Quinn, choir director, said he is confident in the Chamber Singers and hopes to fundraise at least $1,000 for the Bon Voyage Tour.
“Everything we raise from ticket sales goes directly to the student’s’ cost,” Quinn said. “The international tours themselves are very expensive, but it’s going to be phenomenal to be in France.”
The group goes on international tours every two years and plans to perform at Notre Dame in Paris this year. The two-week tour will allow the Chamber Singers to make their way from Paris to the French Riviera while performing up to twice a day.
“I’m really excited,” said Carlie Young, a senior in the Chamber Singers. “We started preparing our repertoire to send out messages of peace and love to the people in France because of what has been going on.”
The concert will be held Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Vieve Gore Concert Hall. Tickets are $5 for all students, non-Westminster students included. Online tickets are available at westminstercollege.edu/culturaleevents. All proceeds go toward the Chamber Singers Bon Voyage Tour in France.
