The Alice Millar Chapel Choir held its first concert since its discontinuation Sunday.
In August, the choir was discontinued for the first time after 60 years of existence. Students received an email informing them that the Trump administration’s $790 million federal funding freeze would disband the choir through program cuts.
Its first performance back, titled “Joy and Light,” featured pieces such as “Blackbird” by The Beatles, “Fanfare” by Aaron Copland played on the organ and “Ruth” by Paul Ayres. The concert concluded with a rendition of “Let There Be Light” by Craig Courtney, followed by a standing ovation.
“There was great weeping and gnashing of teeth throughout the musical world, not just here on campus,” Dean Christian, who tunes the organ for the chapel, said. “You can imagine how many hundreds of kids have sung in this choir over the last 60 years. It’s a unique opportunity.”
Following the August announcement, the choir received an outpouring of support for its return, including a student-led petition. The group will be officially reinstated next quarter, with the support of interim President Henry Bienen, he told The Daily in January.
Some students lost their jobs with the disbanding, as section leaders are paid positions. Voice and opera second-year graduate student and soprano section leader Cynthia Hu said she got a new job at a church in Edgewater to supplement her loss of income.
The group is a musical ensemble that gives non-music major students the opportunity to sing with music majors.
“There’’s like an energy and camaraderie about the people in this choir that I think makes it really special,” Hu said., “I know it is really disheartening for people to not be able to come together and sing music that they usually wouldn’t sing for fun. It’’s not like this is karaoke music. I think this is really teaching people skills that they otherwise wouldn’’t learn.”
The Sunday performance also featured members of the Baroque Music Ensemble, including Veronica Rokicki, who accompanied Stephen Miller’s vocals on “Gibt mir meinen Jesum wieder” by Bach.
The Chapel Choir will hold its annual Spring Festival Concert in May.
“May the joy and light and truth of music be here to stay for years to come,” conductor Stephen Alltop said at the end of the event.
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