Cleveland State's Vocal Rhapsody
Cleveland State’s Vocal Rhapsody Ensemble will be presenting a free concert in the George R. Johnson Cultural Heritage Center auditorium on campus on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Review for the concert:
The concert will open with an instrumental prelude featuring traditional and jazz standards by Stephen Brannen (guitar) and Ariel Lantigua (piano). Beethoven’s Pathetique Piano Sonata Movements One and Two will be played by piano instructor, Beth Fowler, in honor of Beethoven’s birthday, and the singers will follow immediately with a great variety of music. It will include selections from “Phantom of the Opera,” accompanied by Amy Smitty. Alumni of Vocal Rhapsody will be invited on stage to sing along with “Carol of the Bells” and the majestic “March of the Kings” at the start of the program.
Vocal Rhapsody is primarily a cappella. However, several accompanied works will be performed, as well as songs such as the Straight No Chaser arrangement of “The 12 Days of Christmas” and “Various Themes on Fa-La-La.” Other holiday works will include Powell’s percussive, powerful and intense song, “The Word Was God,” “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” and the beautiful anthem “Wonderful Peace.” A men’s trio will perform a powerful version of “Mary, Did you Know” accompanied by Ariel Lantigua, and the ladies of Vocal Rhapsody will share “Stars Are For Those Who Lift Their Eyes” with Perla Lantigua on cello. I Believe will perform as a Quodlibet with the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria, accompanied by Amy Smitty. Also, a small group of singers will join in sharing a mix of the classic Beatles’ songs “Let it Be/Hey Jude.” Elvis and Santa are scheduled to make an appearance during “A Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas.” Plus, several students will sing solos, including Tony Venegas performing Michael Bublé’s version of “Save the Last Dance for Me.” Alyson Reiter, daughter of CSCC professor, Marci Reiter, will also perform a solo dance.
Vocal Rhapsody has represented Cleveland State in collegiate honors choir and festivals including the Tri-State Choral Festival led by Roland Carter at UTC, Men and Women in Song at Milligan College, and East Tennessee State, ACDA Collegiate Honors Choir, and the “Passion Within” Festival Choir in Innsbruck, Austria.
Vocal Rhapsody is a 22-member auditioned vocal ensemble based at Cleveland State Community College which performs a variety of music. The members are diverse, ranging from dual enrollment high-school students to a singing business professor grandmother.
Vocal Rhapsody started in the spring of 2009 and has since performed for numerous community and campus events. The singers include students from Cleveland High School, Bradley Central, Walker Valley, McMinn Central, McMinn County, Polk County, other private and homeschools.
Over the years, Vocal Rhapsody singers have participated in the Southern Invitational Choral Conference (Univ. of Southern Mississippi,) TNMEA Collegiate Honor Choir, Lee Honor Choir, ACDA Summer Conference, For Men Only (Balor School,) Roland Carter Collegiate Concert (UTC), Volcapella with Avi Kaplan workshop (UTK), Men and Women in Song Choral Festival at Milligan University and ETSU, and "The Passion Within Choral Festival" in Innsbruck, Austria.
The choir recently sang the Hallelujah Chorus and the Christmas Finale Carol Medley with the Cleveland Pops Band. A fun version of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” made popular by the acapella sensations, Straight No Chaser, will also be shared during the concert.
Karen McCall Dale holds music and drama degrees from East Carolina University, Winthrop University, and Brevard College. A native of Charlotte, N.C., she has taught voice and flute since 1982. She has been honored as an Outstanding Young Educator, Teacher of the Year, Who’s Who publications, Governor’s School Outstanding Teacher, Phi Theta Kappa Faculty Scholar, 2016-17 Parnell Scholar, Outstanding Instructor and Service Award to Cleveland State. Karen has served as Minister of Music in Kinston, NC and she has taught music on all levels from Kindermusik through college. She enjoys performing in musical theater, having played roles such as Maria (Sound of Music), Magnolia (Showboat), and Anna (The King and I.) She was a member of Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble and the Charlottetown Players, as well as various instrumental ensembles.
She has served as Instructor of Music at Union University, Associate Professor of Fine Arts and Communication at Jackson State, and is currently Associate Professor of Music at Cleveland State. Her students have won top honors in the NATS and TNMEA auditions, and many are currently performing and teaching both internationally and throughout the U.S.
Ms. Dale is a member of American Choral Director’s Association, National Association of Teachers of Singing, National Association for Music Education, East Tennessee Vocal Music Educators Association, and has served as vice-president of the West Tennessee Music Teachers’ Association. Karen directed the JSCC Innovation Ensemble which represented the state of Tennessee at America’s 400th Celebration in Jamestown, VA, and has directed choirs in Austria and across the U.S. She lives in Cleveland with her husband Edwin, and is the mother of Melody, Caroline, and Benjamin. She also enjoys helping develop life-long health habits as a certified health coach.