Music and emotions go hand in hand for many people, and the concert “Laugh and Cry” is meant to emphasize that bond.
The Shoreline Singers and the SCC Chamber Chorale are collaborating for a single performance of “Lachen Und Weinen” (“Laugh and Cry”) on June 8.
Evan Norberg, the faculty member who is directing “Laugh and Cry,” said that it will be easy for the audience to connect with both the “funnier” pieces they’ll be performing, and also the “more thoughtful and more tear-inducing” ones, as he explained that the concert has a “wonderfully accessible nature.”
The concert is called “Laugh and Cry” mainly because each piece in the concert is meant to evoke one of those two reactions.
As Norberg said, “Emotion does not need language, it is felt by everyone regardless (of the presence of words).”
The concert will include pieces by Norman Luboff, an American music composer from the 1950s who produced music for more than 80 movies, while also recording with famous singers like Frank Sinatra.
The pieces will also include those from another well-known composer, Eric Whitacre. Whitacre is a Grammy-winning composer and is the first artist-in-residence for the Los Angeles Master Chorale. However, the concert will also feature many other composers, and most of the pieces will be performed in English.
The Singers of the Chamber Chorale, led by instructor Evan Norberg (at piano), go through their warm up routine. (Photo by Martin Musialczyk)
The Shoreline Singers, as well as the Chamber Chorale, have been around for years dating back to 1995, though they have existed in various forms at SCC. The Shoreline Singers group is reserved for members who are more advanced in their vocal training; the group has auditions every fall quarter. Meanwhile, the Chamber Chorale is open for all those who love to sing; the chorale welcomes newcomers and professionals alike.
Also, the Shoreline Singers is an acapella ensemble and they cover a wider range of music, while the Chamber Chorale is more into the classics and opera.
The Shoreline Singers and Chamber Chorale are both very active participants in the music department: they both do concerts throughout the year and perform in tours, festivals and various other events. The two groups are an integral contribution to the excellence of the music department, according to Norberg.
Anita Proudfoot is a part-time student at SCC studying music theory and performance. Proudfoot has been a member of the Chamber Chorale for three years, and she said while the training has been challenging, she is learning every day.
The meaning of the “Laugh and Cry” concert seems clear to Proudfoot: according to her, while there have been many ups and downs in her life, “music helps me process emotions felt during both of these times,” she said.
With all of life’s hardships, Proudfoot said she has found that music helps her health and wellbeing.
“Laugh and Cry” will feature accompanists Anastasiya Timofeeva and Genevieve Peaslee on the piano. Norberg called them “monsters” — but not in the way you might think.
“Their sensitivity to the music, finesse at the piano (and) professionalism in the classroom are all representative of what we do here at SCC,” Norberg clarified.
In addition to performing solos, they will also be performing a four-hand piano number, “Danse Africane” by William Averitt, which will require both performers’ hands on the piano at the same time.
Proudfoot invited everyone “who loves music” to watch the groups perform.
The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on June 8 at the First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach.
-Madeline Kimberly