The Cleveland State Music Department will present its annual spring concert on Sunday, April 15 at 2:30 p.m. in the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center Theater. Both the Chamber Choir and Vocal Rhapsody will be performing, as well as soloists from the music department.
Selections will include “The Rhythm of Life” for double piano and choir, from the Broadway Musical “Sweet Charity,” “Oye la Musica” celebrating music as the “Rhythm of Life” and adding a Latin flair to the concert.“Jambo, Karibu kwa Afrika,” which translated from the Swahili, means "Hello, Welcome to Africa," Blues in the Night, a sassy blues selection which was written by Arlen and Mercer for the 1941 film, but later recorded by singers such as Kate Smith, Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra, and many others, including top choral ensembles, and “Omnia Sol,” a song that speaks strongly to college students who are briefly together during the college years, but remain friends for a lifetime.Other selections by the Chamber Choir may include the spiritual, “Soon All Will Be Done,” “The Lord is My Shepherd,” and other selections.
Vocal Rhapsody, which is frequently seen at area events in the Cleveland area, will perform several acappella songs including the theme from Mission Impossible, in the style of the Swingle Singers, “Overture to the Barber of Seville”, in the style of the “King’s Singers,” and “Joy to the World,” the 1970’s 3 Dog Night hit, arranged by Deke Sharon. The ensemble will also feature the men singing “Book of Love” and the ladies of the ensemble singing an acappella version of Adele’s Grammy-winning song of the year, “Rollin’ in the Deep.” Rosephanye Powell’s powerful acappella anthem “The Word Was God” based upon John 1:1 will be performed, along with a variety of songs from choral literature and popular songs.
Admission to the concert is free, but donations will be taken to help with the choral department’s upcoming trip to Austria to perform in “The Passion Within” Choral Festival, under the director of master clinician Eph Ehly, in Innsbruck, Austria. The choir members will then tour Salzburg and Vienna, seeing many of the historic sites, such as Mozart’s birthplace, that have been studied.
An octet of singers from Cleveland State will be performing in the Tennessee Music Educator’s Association Conference in Chattanooga on April 13. They will be singing with select collegiate singers from across the state in the All-Collegiate Honors Choir under the direction of Dr. Charles Robinson, Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City
In addition to the traditional campus concert with the Chamber Choir, Vocal Rhapsody members will be performing in a dinner theatre setting at the Museum Center at Five Points on Tuesday, April 17 at 6 p.m.
A spaghetti dinner will be catered by “Elegant Touch Catering” of Athens, and musical entertainment will include the Greater Cleveland Jazz Band, soloists and group songs by Vocal Rhapsody and alumni from that ensemble. There will be a variety of styles from cool jazz to Motown. During the meal, tableside music will feature violin selections and Italian art songs and arias. All proceeds from the event will help to sponsor the Cleveland State Students on their journey to Austria.
Tickets are $20 each or $35 per couple and will be available for purchase at the Museum on the night of the event. To make reservations for “A Night at the Museum,” contact Karen Dale by calling 472-7141, ext. 303 orby emailing kdale@clevelandstatecc.edu.