The Allan Hancock College Singers is a coalition of students who come together to create vocal harmony. The group prepared all semester long for the upcoming concert Spirit and Soul, which explores American spirituals and soul music.
Sun Arts Editor Joe Payne caught up with Ann Lucas, the Allan Hancock College Singers conductor and class instructor, via email. Lucas shared her view of the upcoming program and performance.
Joe Payne: So, the concert is titled Spirit and Soul, what was the inspiration for the program?
Ann Lucas: This title reflects a sort of parent and child relationship: Spirituals are the bedrock of the soul and Motown musical phenomenon of the 1960s in American popular music.
JP: Who are some of the composers, songwriters, and arrangers on the program?
AL: Spirituals, which comprise the first half of our program, of course are largely only ever attributed as “traditional,” although one of these, “Amazing Grace,” has a known author for the words and a hymn tune traceable back to the early 1800s. Another selection from this group, “Shenandoah,” is actually not a spiritual at all, but is certainly an American traditional. One of the arrangers is the great African-American composer William Grant Still, who hugely deserves to be better known, and the other is Mack Wilberg of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. When you get to the second half of the program, which contains the soul and Motown numbers, composers and arrangers read like a who’s who of that entire era, from Otis Redding to Ike Turner.
JP: Where do these people fit in the history of American music?
AL: African-American spirituals are so well known and so beloved for such a long time that their place in American music history is indisputable. They rose to prominence in the sense of becoming “popular” after the Civil War, and there they have remained. What is interesting about soul and Motown, however, is that those two expressions, while both African-American, are very different. Soul is a blacker and more unvarnished musical style vocally, rhythmically, and instrumentally. Motown was created with popular appeal and commercial success in mind from the get-go and always had a polished, professional, and mainstream sound. Both are great fun and great music, but just consider the differences between Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross!
JP: How do spirituals and soul music relate; do they inform each other?
AL: They totally inform each other. Soul music would be nothing without the influence of the black gospel church and singing style. The intensity of emotion that spirituals require is also a requirement in soul, and that emotion manifests itself primarily in vocal delivery. Once again, consider “Respect” vs. “Baby Love.”
JP: How is the current batch of singers enjoying the music?
AL: We are on fire. You’re going to hear some shouting.
JP: How does this program play to the current ensemble’s strengths?
AL: Musically, this choir can do anything I ask them to do. I always have students that are a mix of musical backgrounds and abilities, but everyone crosses the finish line come the performance. But to answer the question about this program, first of all, they love it and that makes them strong. Second, we already knew we had a strong talent for anything gospel, as proven in previous concerts. And third, the choir has been asking for Motown for a couple of semesters now, and once we had other program commitments from the past year out of the way, we leapt at the chance to make this program.
JP: As a conductor, how do you approach these pieces with the Allan Hancock College Singers?
AL: The Wilberg pieces are scored for an eight-part choir, and I only have around 40 signers. So those works were learned with the goal of being able to sing parts steadfastly as seven other lines swirl around. It was hard going, and it involved a lot of outside practice. But, we got them ready, plus the three W.G. Still pieces, in time for the late February concert with the Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra where we were featured guests. The soul and Motown pieces on the other hand, since most of the choir knew the tunes at least, were some serious workouts on rhythm. Lots of clapping, talking rhythms, and repetition until it came naturally. What sounds so natural in a recorded pop performance looks significantly different when reproduced on a page of music.
JP: Why is it important for student musicians to perform?
AL: I can’t even answer that question! Our choir’s motto is “We Live to Perform!” So, the word “important” is not strong enough! What we enjoy about any music that we perform is the emotional connection we make with those pieces. And what we enjoy about performing is the emotional connection we make with our listeners when we share that music, and making those emotional connections with the music, with each other, and with the audience, is not only important, it’s good medicine. I completely believe music makes you a better person, both doing and hearing.
JP: Tell me a bit about the choir’s musical accompaniment.
AL: Our wonderful pianist, Dave Alm, provides a smoking partnership with some major pianism throughout the entire program. An excellent choral conductor as well, he will also direct a piece on each half of the program, and the choir sings their hearts out for him! And it is extra fun to have two superb guitarists drawn from the choir: George DesRoches on bass and Darrel Gardner on lead, and they both have vocal solos as well. You will have your socks knocked off by our other student soloists too. I really ought to give Sony a call and have them send a couple of agents up to catch the show!
Contact Arts Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 7-14, 2015.