UA Little Rock Choirs Presents ‘Beautiful Wild Forces’

The UA Little Rock Choirs will be showcasing their talent in their finale concert on Friday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Edward Catholic Church on 801 Sherman St. in Little Rock. It is free and open to the public. 

This concert will feature all four choral ensembles – Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, Chamber Singers, and Night Shift, as well as soloists and instrumentalists. The program will have selections by composers Levente Gyöngyösi, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Jake Runestad. 

The concert marks a celebratory conclusion for UA Little Rock’s Choirs’ spring semester. 

Last year, the choir focused on music from the traditional choral canon, but this year the concert will be less focused on traditional choral repertoire. The music is primarily for choirs and string instruments. 

To prepare for this concert, the ensembles rehearse on a weekly schedule similar to classes all around campus.

“I work on layering in all the elements of the music in rehearsal so that singers are comfortable with the music,” Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, said.  “The text becomes part of our identity as an ensemble, and we have meaningful conversations about the meaning behind the music. It is important to internalize the music fully in order to have a compelling performance.”

This concert is a collaboration between a diverse group of guest performers. It will feature a string quartet of professional instrumentalists from Central Arkansas. Also, the Women’s Choir will be performing a piece with the UA Little Rock Percussion Ensemble. 

Mason is excited to perform in a new and beautiful space.

“I am most looking forward to performing this variety of music in the wonderful acoustic space at Saint Edward Catholic Church,” she said. “It is a lovely place to sing, and I enjoy experiencing music in new venues with our students.”