Sh-Ron Almeida
Asst. Arts and Entertainment Editor
Rhode Island College was given the opportunity to hear the fantastic choir during the Winter Choral Concert on Friday in Sapinsley Hall. Much like the Wind Ensemble from last month, their performances started promptly, too. What helped this concert get such a good reception was due to that fact so many people showed up. Since we are still recovering from the pandemic, it was nice to see more seats being filled. We have tons of gifted people in the Arts and Entertainment field and it’s only fair that we give them the attention they deserve.
From beginning to end, the choir displayed excellent vocal range in the various songs such as “Ding dong! Merrily on High,” “We are Lights,” “'Nothing Short of Grace” and “Magnificat.”
Growing up, I took part in chorus sessions at school. Practicing can be quite a pain, especially when you have peers that aren’t taking it as seriously as you are or have an impatient teacher. Your voice can’t be perfect but that doesn't mean you can’t try your best at sounding good. As any RIC student with a musical inclination would agree, it takes a lot of time and patience to strengthen your singing skills. You don’t become a singer overnight. Taking all this into consideration, I was immensely impressed with their talent on stage.
Teresa Coffiman, the conductor, guided the choir with elegance and professionalism. She even gave the singers and musicians their well-deserved recognition after each song. It was obvious that she truly cared for the hard work the students put in. Their efforts paid off well. The men and women did great in harmonizing their voices, especially Mira Tapper, Tessa Bellotti, Michael Rossi, Alexander Celico and Domenic Fusco III.
Overall, the performance was nothing short of amazing. The harmony of the vocals were simply astounding and it was evident that the chorus spends a lot of time together. The musical selections were not only relevant to the season, but were also appropriate for the vocal ranges exhibited as these songs really showed off the vocal talents of our students.
This concert was a pleasure to attend and I am looking forward to future showcases.