Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Jessica Larkin Professor Don Kendrick conducts the Men's Chamber Choir during a rehearsal. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jessica Larkin Kendrick will lead "Music of the spheres" on March 8. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jessica Larkin The Men's Chamber Choir is the smallest of Sac State's three choirs. [Click to enlarge]

Music from all around the earth has been collected and narrowed down to its best and most moving.

Sacramento State's Concert Choir, University Chorus and Men's Chamber Choir will sing this exclusive collection, called "Music of the Spheres," at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The cost is a suggested donation of $10, but $5 for students and seniors.

Jason Dyer, a freshman vocal performance major who is in the Men's Chamber Choir, is excited about "Music of the Spheres."

"It really is a fantastic event," Dyer said.

Even the venue, the Sacred Heart Church, which is on the corner of 39th and J streets, is highly regarded by the musically-inclined Dyer.

"It's a gorgeous church with amazing acoustics," Dyer said. "It's an amazing feeling to sing in a place like that."

"I am most looking forward to the fantastic selections of music that have been picked for this concert," said Britton Cope, undeclared freshman in the Concert Choir. "Many of the pieces utilize intervals and chords that are simply enchanting."

Dyer is also appreciative of his vocal guidance at Sac State.

"Dr. Kendrick is an amazing conductor," Dyer said.

Donald Kendrick is the director of choral activities and conductor of "Music of the Spheres." Kendrick is also excited about the musical selection for this concert.

"We start with the University Chorus and music from the Inuits in the far northern climates," Kendrick said.

From that starting point the audience will be taken by the voices of the choirs and chorus to points all over the world.

"One of the works is by a composer from Finland that features our men alone, and it is a call for safety on a voyage across the sea," Kendrick said. "We will sing some modern pieces that have tone clusters and special effects vocally to conjure up moonlight."

"Music of the Spheres" includes works by Veljo Tormis, Francis Poulenc, Eric Whitacre, R. Murray Schafer and Johann Sebastian Bach.

"Even when singing these pieces, one's breath is taken away by their sheer beauty," Cope said.

The singers all seem to be working very hard to make "Music of the Spheres" great. Kendrick expressed some concerns about sickness.

"We have all been hit will this terrible flu and other illnesses that have besieged our campus," Kendrick said.

"We have to get a lot done in a very short time," Dyer said.

Cope feels that preparation for the concert has gone quite smoothly. He expressed a similar concern to Dyer's though, about having a lot to cover in the short time before the show.

But Cope is nonetheless expecting a very triumphant show.

"Now that the concert is coming up soon and I can see the progress we've made, I have no doubt that this concert will be one of the most beautiful I have heard at Sac State," he said.

"Well, the concert is about music from all different origins, including different time periods and countries," said Laura Martinez, sophomore government major.

It seems that the strength of these singers will easily overcome any obstacles to putting on an exquisite performance of "Music of the Spheres."

"I would encourage anyone with an interest in music to come see the show. I can tell now from the rehearsals that this concert will be one to remember for years," Cope said.

Jesse Fernandez can be reached at jfernandez@statehornet.com

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