By JULES SHINKLE
BG Independent News
As BGSU’s fall semester kicks off, the halls of the Moore Musical Arts Center are bustling with auditionees. The College of Musical Arts’ ensembles are making their first sounds of the semester with a new rotation of musicians and, in some cases, conductors.
Students, faculty and community members alike are invited to make music together in the University Choral Society (UCS). The choir was founded in 1999 by Dr. Mark Munson and will be led by two conductors this academic year: Dr. Richard Schnipke and Dr. William Skoog.
Schnipke and Skoog will conduct the chorus for the fall semester and spring semester, respectively.
While this is Schnipke’s first year conducting the UCS, Skoog is no stranger to the group. Skoog was director of choral activities at BGSU from 2001-09, the position Schnipke currently holds. Skoog took the UCS on its first European tour back in 2003 and recently retired from his position as chair of the music department at Rhodes College.
The UCS is starting to work on their annual holiday concert titled “Joyous Sounds,” which will take place on Dec. 2 at the First United Methodist Church in Bowling Green. In addition to some holiday favorites, their repertoire will include G.F. Handel and Morten Lauridsen.
“I haven’t done a Christmas concert since I’ve been at BG for nine years,” says Schnipke, “I really like all the music we’re going to do this semester – and I picked it.”
Under Skoog’s baton, the UCS will perform in the spring semester at the College of Musical Arts’ 50th anniversary “Gala Concert.”
Though rehearsals have already begun, community members are still welcome to join the UCS each Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Moore Musical Arts Center. Non-student members of the chorus must pay a $30 membership per semester or $50 for the whole academic year. For more information about joining the UCS, visit the University Choral Society website.
Community members looking for an opportunity to stretch their singing skills and connect with experienced musicians are strongly encouraged to join.
“I haven’t worked with adult, non-student singers in a while – I did church choirs for many years in my career … but I’ve been kind of missing that connection,” says Schnipke.
For the adult singer craving a challenge and wanting to make music with a chorus perhaps larger than their church choir, the UCS awaits with open arms.
