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Music 161

Wooster Chorus

A performing choir dedicated to the performance of the finest sacred and secular choral works of the past five centuries. In addition to presenting several programs on campus each year, the Wooster Chorus makes a concert tour during spring vacation. Admission is by audition. Four hours per week. One-eighth course credit per semester. Annually. Fall and Spring.

Director: John Russell

Mission Statement

That making music with others is a significant and much desired component for the artistic and intellectual development of any human being is certainly not a novel idea nor should it be. At its best, a musical ensemble should engage the participants, students and others, in the quest for excellence and expect them to commit to giving of themselves to the goals of artistic integration and wholeness which enable the intentions of the composer whose works they perform to be realized. At the center of this enterprise, of course, is the music itself which both challenges and nourishes the minds and hearts of the members of the ensemble. With the appropriate circumstances and support, much of this can then be shared with those who have come to listen. However, within the academy the pleasure and enjoyment of a particular audience must always be understood as a consequence of the foregoing rather than the goal itself. The Wooster Chorus, an auditioned choir, seeks, through regular and rigorous rehearsals, to foster these ideals. From a practical point of view, the participants in this choir are expected to hone and improve their skills at sight reading, intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and clear enunciation of texts in a variety of languages. Within the curriculum, The Wooster Chorus encourages and teaches as much about the language of music and its proper performance as possible. These matters include, but are not limited to increased fluency in reading music, the understanding and acquiring of appro-priate vocal techniques to negotiate the musical material, an awareness of the place of the particular works in musical history, and some basic knowledge of issues related to performance practice. Where texts other than English are involved, thorough coaching of the language or dialects involved is offered as well as an understanding of the English translations of such texts. Finally, the Wooster Chorus regularly presents a series of concerts on tour each spring vacation. The responsibility for and the rationale of the tour rests with the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The rationale includes a statement about the academic objectives that are sought and, hopefully, achieved, by all of our students, both majors and non-majors, through the opportunity to refine programs which are presented ad seriatim as only a tour situation affords.