‘50 Voices/4 Hands’

A performance by The Master Chorale

The UTRGV School of Music Master Chorale will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Texas Southmost College Performing Arts Center in Brownsville.

The performance “50 Voices/4 Hands” will feature music written for choir pianists such as Mack Wilberg’s “Cindy,” Joshua Shank’s “Your Children” and Johannes Brahms “Nänie.”

Sean Taylor, a UTRGV music assistant professor and director of choral studies, told The Rider about the chorale’s preparation for the forthcoming performance. 

“We’ve been preparing since January, rehearsing twice a week with the choir,” he said. “The Master Chorale is based in Brownsville, and it has about 50 students in it, mostly voice majors, but we have some students from other majors as well.”

The director highlighted the presentation’s layout and the variety of pieces from different periods.

“It’s music from different eras, so we have some music from the 19th century,” Taylor said. “Some music that was just written in the last few years, all sorts of tied together by the fact that it’s written … specifically for two pianists in choir, which is a unique sort of experience.” 

The event will also feature the contribution of UTRGV piano professors Kenneth Saxon and Juan Pablo Andrade.

“It’s tremendous fun, actually, really, because there is so much going on,” Saxon said. “We have chorale music and then we have two pianists along with that, and so it’s a very active and interesting and colorful program of music. So, I am very excited for it.” 

He told The Rider the piano pieces are four hands. 

“In this special concert, these pieces are for piano, four hands, if you’ve ever heard that, piano four hands, that means two pianists together,” Saxon said.

Taylor also highlighted a special adaptation that will be featured in the presentation.

“We also have one piece that will feature a student soloist, and that is ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning,’ which is a Dolly Parton song that was arranged for choir by Craig Hella Johnson,” he said.

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