FMU’s University Choir and Voice Collective performed on Nov. 20 at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in downtown Florence for their fall semester concert. This year, the men’s choir, The Vibertones, performed for the first time.
The theme for the evening was “Measure Me Sky,” with each of the three groups performing a handful of songs throughout the concert.
The University Choir performed first, accompanied by pianist DeQuan LaSane. The choir started their set with the piece “Noel,” which was accompanied by FMU’s Percussion Ensemble. They performed “Be The Light,” with alum and student life specialist Adrien McClintock playing bass, followed by “Blessed Are the Peacemakers,” with Penny Rogers accompanying on the flute. The University Choir concluded their performance with the song “Gaudete.”
FMU’s women’s choir, Voice Collective, then took the stage. The ladies of Voice Collective performed “Tres Cose,” the Japanese children’s song “Hotaru Koi,” “We Are Held,” “And the Night Shall be Filled with Music” and finished with “Gesu Bambino.”
FMU’s new men’s choir, The Vibertones, was then able to perform for the first time alongside the other choirs. They opened up their set with a medley of songs from the famous Broadway musical “Hamilton.” They then sang the Christmas classic “Mary, Did You Know?” and concluded their set with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” while dancing their way off of the stage. The Vibertones’s set included solos from choir members Shawn McMichael, Micah Moore, Zayne Curry, Zion Gaskins, Dane McMillian, and Jameel Montgomery.
The final song of the evening was “Measure Me, Sky!” performed by the collective University Choir. After “Measure Me, Sky!” the choir ended the night with a surprise performance of “Happy Birthday” for the director of all three groups and associate professor of music industry, Fran Coleman, who played a crucial role in letting The Vibertones perform.
The University Choir, along with Voice Collective and The Vibertones, used this performance to showcase their talents and efforts from this semester.
“This group of students had a great rapport and worked very hard together as a team,” Coleman said. “Every semester I approach the students with challenging music, but this semester I am so proud of how far they came.”
The students in all three choirs worked hard to create and rehearse the showcase, particularly The Vibertones, as a new group participating in the semester performance for the first time. Each group focused on mastering songs and techniques specific to their select ensembles and voices, hoping to bring out the best in each performer.
“There are always more women in choir than men, so I wanted to give them the opportunity to shine,” Coleman said. “But then, the men said, ‘Hey! We want a choir too!’ Thus the men’s ensemble was born.”
Coleman’s work with the students made it an obvious choice to celebrate her at the conclusion of the performance, as the show would not have happened without her.
“Dr. Coleman is an amazing teacher and is really good when it comes to songs that reflect everyone’s vocal talents and needs,” Shawn McMichael, sophomore mass communications major, said. “When she got the men’s choir together and gave us our own songs, we were excited and proud to have our very own type of choir on campus, one for the men that have amazing voices and know how to use them.”
FMU’s University Choir, Voice Collective and The Vibertones will be performing another semester concert on Apr. 3, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the PAC’s Mainstage. More information on the three groups can be found on the FMU website.