Vocal Extravaganza Offers Family Entertainment Nov. 4

PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington State University School of Music and Theatre Arts will present entertainment for the entire family during Dad’s Weekend at this year’s Vocal Extravaganza at 8 p.m. Nov. 4. at Bryan Hall Theatre.

Tickets for the event are $8 per person and are on sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week in the lobby of Kimbrough Hall and at the door beginning at 6 p.m. the night of the concert. All seats are general admission.

Vocal Extravaganza is a showcase of six vocal/choral ensembles in the School of Music and Theatre Arts under the direction of university faculty members. The groups include Madrigal Singers and Concert Choir, conducted by Lori Wiest; University Singers, John Weiss; Opera Workshop, Julie Wieck; and VoJazz and Crimson Revue, Noel Barbuto.

The program will open with the WSU Madrigal Singers performing 16^th century popular music based on love, infidelity, love lost and friendship. Selections will include Hassler’s “Tanzen und Springen,” del Encina’s “Fatal la Parte,” an anonymous Spanish selection “Dindirin Din, Weep Mine Eyes” by Wilbye and “Fire, Fire” by Morley. The Madrigal Singers will present its annual Madrigal Dinner Dec. 2 and 3. Tickets are on sale now at the WSU Compton Union Building Information Desk for $39 per person.

University Singers will perform “The Lass from the Low Countree” by John Jacob Niles, arranged by John Purifoy, and “The Heavens are Telling” from Haydn’s “The Creation.” The men of the ensemble will perform Hatfield’s “Chickens in the Garden,” and the women will be showcased in “Sing a Song of Sixpence” by Diack.

Concert Choir will continue with an exuberant setting of “Lo, in the Time Appointed” by Canadian composer Healey Willan and “Upon Your Heart” by fellow Canadian Eleanor Daley. Featured will be a work entitled “Horizons” by Peter Louis Van Dijk, which tells a sad story of the San people of South Africa who prayed for food and water to feed their children but instead suffered a tragic fate. The Concert Choir will conclude with “Rytmus,” a rhythmic adventure in singing.

The students in Opera Workshop will present scenes from their larger production at 8 p.m. Nov. 15 in Bryan Hall Theatre. From the hilarious world of Gilbert and Sullivan, the singers will perform part of act one of “The Mikado.” A young Japanese man named Nanki-Poo has arrived in the fabled Japanese village of Titipu to search for his beloved Yum-Yum, who is now engaged. His options are extremely limited in trying to win her back because the penalty for flirting is death. 

The next opera will be Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” (“Women Are Like That”). The story is about two sets of lovers, sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella and their young soldiers, Guglielmo and Ferrando.  The young men are goaded into a bet to prove that all women will be unfaithful if given the opportunity. The two soldiers pretend to leave for war and return in disguise to woo the other’s girlfriend. 

Following an intermission, VoJazz will perform “Night and Day” by Cole Porter, “Africa” by Paich and Porcaro, arranged by Randy Crenshaw, and “Count ‘Em” arranged by Vijay Singh.

Crimson Revue’s performance will feature music from the popular musical theatre production “Rent” by Larson, which opens this fall in movie theaters, and “Hey Ya” by Andre Benjamin.