Singers channel spirituality

University+Singers+perform+at+the+Vocal+Extravaganza+Concert+in+Bryan+Hall.

University Singers perform at the Vocal Extravaganza Concert in Bryan Hall.

Jazz, spiritual and gospel music will come together as student singers partner with faculty musicians in an on-campus concert celebrating Black History Month tonight.

“The Sacred and Spiritual” features students of the University Singers group and professors of music singing and playing songs in honor of African-American heritage.

To stick with the theme of Black History Month, the song styles match with the genres that have roots in the African American culture.

“Each cultural history has its own defining music set to it,” said Andrew Clark, a sophomore in the VoJazz group. “For a lot of African American cultures, their distinctive music is a lot of jazz and gospel and spiritual.”

The VoJazz singers will make guest appearances, with the men singing “Swingin’ with the Saints” and the women singing “Music Down in My Soul.” Pianist Brian Ward will accompany both songs.

Clark described “Swinging with the Saints” as spiritual with a swingy and jazzy feel that brings in a Louisiana spring style, which leads into the song “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Staff members from the School of Music provide the five-person band that will perform combos for many of the songs, both with the choir and as standalone instrumentals. The instruments include the piano, saxophone, bass, drums, and guitar.

“This is a unique opportunity to play and sing with instrumental combo,” Luethi said. “The energy that comes off the stage is really exciting.”

University Singers includes some music majors and beginner choir singers. This non-audition class gives non-music majoring students the opportunity to get the experience of performing in a choir concert, such as tonight’s performance.

“They all come in with their own understanding of the human voice that’s usually based around what they hear and what they see,” said Dean Luethi, an assistant music professor who directs University Singers and WSU VoJazz. “When we sing together we have to deconstruct that.”

Luethi described Black History Month as a period of time to look at African Americans in the country and discover where the country’s history stands today. The goal of black history awareness is to provide an idea of what took place during the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrate how significant Martin Luther King Jr. was in this movement, and reflect on significant moments.

Junior Genevieve Kayla sings for both VoJazz and University Singers and said one of the best things about the show is seeing everyone come together for the joy of the night. Although preparation becomes difficult at times, Kayla said she was still excited to hear how they sound.

“It’s about the connection with the singing,” Kayla said. “(The music) makes you want to smile and have fun.”

The concert will be in Bryan Hall at 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.