CSCC’s Vocal Rhapsody, front row from left, Landon Seaborn, Molly McConnell, Autumn Combs, Lydia Hill, Kendra Martin and Logan Smith. Back row from left, Colby Tatum, Benjamin Dale, Nathan Myers and Bo Marshall. Not pictured - Penni Jo Wilson, Ashley Gentry, Leah Snowman, Morgan King, Amy Fowler and Daniel Carrasquillo.
CSCC’s Chamber Choir, front row from left, Gracie Cunningham, Logan Smith and Nacor Lantigua. Middle row from left, Cody Langford, Betsy Broersma, Piper Evans and Leah Smalley. Back row from left, Emily Crawley, Sean Moran, Robert Wiggall and Josh Gardner. Not pictured: Morgan King, Katie Shackleford, Hilliary Woods, Aubrey Woodside and Shelby Yarbrough.
Carlos Rising and Logan Smith
The choral ensembles of Cleveland State Community College will present a concert on Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. in the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center on the CSCC campus.
The spring concert will be a mix of musical styles and genres. Works included in the program begin with the 1930's and the music of George and Ira Gershwin ("A Gershwin Portrait Opening") and Harold Arlen ("Over the Rainbow.") The Ladies of Vocal Rhapsody will carry it into the next decade with "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," and the Chamber Choir will sing the 1941 sacred choral composition by Mueller, "Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God." Cody Langford will wrap up that decade with the 1949 song "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific.
The Chamber Choir will perform a medley from the 1950's, and the men of Vocal Rhapsody will share the 1957 hit, "Book of Love," as well as an "Ode to Krispy Kreme," the iconic Doughnut chain. The 60's will include the Chamber Choir's rendition of "Rhythm of Life" from Sweet Charity, and an a cappella arrangement by the Vocal Rhapsody ladies of "When I'm 64, with the men singing the 1969 #1 Temptations hit, "I Can't Get Next to You." The 70's will feature Vocal Rhapsody, with Biology Professor Penni Jo Wilson on solo, singing "Come Sail Away," and the ensemble singing a brief segment of their namesake song, "Bohemian Rhapsody."
The 1980's will begin with the John Rutter anthem, "For the Beauty of the Earth" and will also include Rene Clausen's "Set Me as a Seal” (1989) and the 1982 Robert Ray spiritual, "He Never Failed Me Yet." "Unchained Melody" could be included in most any decade. Song writer, Alex North, presented it to Bing Crosby in 1936, but he did not record it. Several instrumental versions were released, and in 1955, it was the theme song for the movie "Unchained." The most popular version was recorded by the Righteous Brothers in 1965, and was popular once again in 1990 with the movie "Ghost." Vocal Rhapsody will perform this timeless standard, a medley from "Aladdin" (1992 movie/2011 musical) will also be performed.
Carlos Rising and Logan Smith will sing the guitar/vocal song from the 90's "More than Words," the Chamber Choir will light up the 2000's with the song, "Come in from the Firefly Darkness" leading into the 2009 Owl City hit, "Fireflies," complete with flashlight "choreography" on the latter. Vocal Rhapsody will bring the concert up to date with Kendra Martin and Lydia Hill as soloists, singing Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass," arranged for choir by Roger Emerson.
The concert might also feature one or two brief scenes or songs from the Musical Theatre Workshop class in addition to the two choral ensembles. Admission to the concert is free.