The Cornell College Concert Choir will be performing in a Voices of Change concert Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. at Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids and Sunday, April 24, at 2:30 p.m. at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City. The concert will also feature the voices of Kirkwood Community College choir, Coe College choir, Mount Mercy University choir and Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale and feature members of Orchestra Iowa as accompanists.
Cornell director Christopher Nakielski said that the choir was approached about being part of this concert.
The choirs and orchestra will be presenting two pieces – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” as part of the concert.
“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony needs the more than 200 voices in this joint choir, as the vocalists will need to be heard over the orchestra,” Nakielski said.
Members of the choirs had a joint rehearsal Monday, April 18, and a dress rehearsal ahead of the performance Saturday with the joint choirs, but most of their preparation has been in practices the last five weeks.
For music education major and choir member Adam Mitchell, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony has been his first time singing a song entirely in German.
Fellow choir member Talea Ellegan said the high notes in the Beethoven piece she has to sing are extremely tough.
Members of Cornell College Concert Choir have had to familiarize themselves with fairly involved pieces for this concert, as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony tops in at 74 pages and “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” comes in at 35 pages.
“That’s more than 100 pages of music we’ve been learning over the past five weeks,” Nakielski said.
Mitchell said that has been one of the biggest challenges for him, getting familiar with the 100 pages of music.
“There are several times in each piece that we have to remember a note coming up, because the notes may not be played directly underneath us,” Mitchell said.
Ellegan said one of the hardest pieces for her has been working on “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.”
“It’s one of the most emotionally challenging pieces I’ve ever had to perform,” Ellegan said. “It just hits too close to home for me.”
Nakielski said the pieces are both challenging in their own ways. For many of the singers, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony can be a physically challenging piece, especially as sopranos have to hold a high A note for approximately two pages of the piece.
“’Seven Last Words’ is an emotionally challenging piece,” Nakielski said. “It’s a piece about police brutality, and it’s not a comfortable topic, but it’s one where ignoring it is much worse.”
Nakielski said the choir had civil discussions to try and get everyone on the same page on the context of the piece, working with the college’s diversity and inclusion officer Hemie Collier.
Ellegan said that she’s looking forward to this concert expanding her horizons, as well as helping her make more connections in this state. Ellegan will be transferring to a college closer to home in the next year.
Mitchell is looking to make connections with other choirs in the area, especially as he is pursuing education as a future music educator.
Nakielski said one of the things he is enjoying is the music they are covering is tackling issues bigger than usual, and have an impact on all Iowans. It’s also an opportunity for Cornell College students to perform at two professional venues – Paramount Theatre and Hancher Auditorium – as they’re venues able to house the 70 orchestra members and 200 choir members comfortably.
When it came to why the community should come hear this concert, Ellegan said the piece “Seven Last Words” is extremely powerful, moving those words from things we internalize and finding new ways to realize them and have more emotional impact.
Both Mitchell and Ellegan said that performing these two pieces would not be possible without the work of director Nakielski.
“The way he has scheduled our practices and worked with us as a group and in sectionals to make sure we’ve been productive has been a huge help,” Mitchell said.
“If it was any other director but Doctor Nakielski, I don’t think I’d be comfortable with performing a piece like ‘Seven Last Words,’” Ellegan said.
Nakielski said that all of the choir students at Cornell have been receptive and done a lot in the past five weeks to learn and retain the music between practices.
Tickets are available for the shows at the Paramount Theatre and Hancher Auditorium box offices, with ticket prices between $16 and $56.
Students age 18 & under are eligible for a FREE ticket with paying adult, subject to availability in Zones 2-5 Only. Some restrictions may apply.
College student tickets can be purchased for $10.
Student and college tickets must be purchased through the Paramount Ticket Office by phone at 319-366-8203 or in-person at 119 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.