The hills were certainly alive with the sound of music this past weekend as the university’s Music and Theatre Arts Department presented the Clearwater Choral Festival Friday and Saturday, including choral groups from both the university and high schools from the surrounding area.
The events were kicked off on Friday night by A Cappella Extravaganza, a collaboration concert featuring six university a cappella groups. The UW-Eau Claire Chamber Choir, Audacious, Girls Night Out, Innocent Men, Impromptu and Fifth Element all took the stage of Schofield Auditorium, each group performing three songs. The Eau Claire Memorial Madrigals also performed.
Songs performed at the event ranged from madrigals like Thomas Weelke’s “Your Beauty It Allureth” to current pop-punk hits like Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.”
Among the many performers of the evening was senior Jake Truby of Innocent Men. A choral music education major, Truby joined the group last fall and says that being involved in it has been a great experience.
“The friendships formed here last a lifetime,” he said. “It’s like a second family.”
A normal rehearsal lasts about half an hour, Truby said, donning the signature red Chuck Taylors of an Innocent Man. When deciding what songs to perform, he said a song is pitched to the group by a member – if the group agrees it will work, it is arranged into an a cappella song. Innocent Men has recently recorded their cleverly entitled album, Innocent Men. Until Proven Guilty, and are celebrating their 25th year together on campus.
Similar to Innocent Men, Audacious president junior Hannah Krier said her group chooses songs by suggesting them at rehearsals.
“We basically hear a song and say, ‘This would sound great a cappella,'” Krier said. “Each semester we like to have at least a couple songs that represent strong women and positive reinforcement through music.”
Fellow Audacious member freshman Lauren Schell said both past and present members help to arrange the music. When looking for potential songs, they like to read through new music when they have it or occasionally pull an old piece from the archives, she said.
“We’re a very forward-thinking group,” she said.
Audacious performed for a local radio station alongside Fifth Element last semester, said Krier. The group is currently in contact with recording studios and hopes to find the time to record a few songs before the semester ends, Schell said.
Aside from Friday evening, there were two additional concerts held on Saturday that featured the Women’s Concert Chorale, Singing Statesman, UW-Eau Claire Concert Choir, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School Concert Choir, Honor Choir and various soloists.
The overall events provided a great taste of the many a cappella groups that grace the
campus.
A solid relationship exists between all of the groups, Truby said.
“There are no rivalries,” he said. “Backstage at shows is always fun . everyone’s hanging out and performing. It’s a great time to be a part of an a cappella group.”