BYU Women's Chorus

Tuesday Devotional

2011-03-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Watch us and the other BYU choirs tomorrow for the Tuesday devotional . It will begin at 11:05 a.m. on BYUtv or in the Marriott Center on BYU Campus.

Spring Concert April 1, 2011

2011-02-16T08:41:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again. Spring is coming, the weather is warming up, and Women's Chorus is having their annual concert. Tickets went on sale at the Harris Fine Arts Center on February 14, 2011 for our April 1, 2011 concert. It is going to be an amazing show. To purchase tickets please click the link http://www.byuarts.com/tickets/index.php or go to BYU Arts. We hope to see you there!

February 24, 2011 Combined Choir Concert

2011-02-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to get tickets for our next concert, there is still time. We are joining with the men's chorus, concert choir, and BYU singers for a wonderful night of music on February 24, 2011. To buy tickets for the show just go to http://www.byuarts.com/tickets/index.php and look up the BYU combined choir concert. We can't wait to share with you some of our favorite songs.

2011-01-06T20:09:00.001-08:00

Welcome back to school for winter semester 2011. It is going to be an amazing semester and we are so excited to have new voices join us. Welcome to Women's Chorus!

Fire at the Provo Tabernacle

2010-12-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

At one of our last choir meetings before leaving for the Christmas break, we were told that our Women's Chorus concert for 2011 would be held at the Provo Tabernacle. What an amazing venue for us to perform at. It was exciting to think about the different opportunities singing in the Tabernacle would offer us as a choir. We would be able to present a concert that would be uniquely suited to the acoustics, instruments and seating that the Provo Tabernacle provides.

Sadly we were informed yesterday that the Provo Tabernacle has burned down and is completely destroyed. We are at present undecided as to where our Spring concert will be held. The Provo Tabernacle was a beautiful historic landmark that we will all miss. For more information about the fire you can visit ksl's website or click the link http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13709985.

2010-12-10T17:46:00.000-08:00

Women's Chorus has had an amazing semester. We have had some amazing feedback from all of our performances and have had so much fun sharing our testimonies through music. We just finished our final performance for Christmas and it was such a wonderful experience. We had a whole day to discuss some of the experiences we had and also some of the comments we received from the performance. I have to say that we definitely put our heart and soul into those performances and I think the audience could feel our spirit through the music. We got some raving comments such as:

-Did the women's chorus forget to show up... because those were angels singing tonight.

-I got goosebumps listening to silent night, you brought that piece to life.

-Women's chorus was my favorite performance tonight.

-When does your CD come out?

I know that singing those songs, praising the Savior, and celebrating this time of year through music brought a special feeling into all of our hearts. My parents were able to come to the performance and my dad is still talking about what a great job not only the women's chorus did, but everybody.

Thanks for all of your love and support over this past semester from friends, family, and fans. We couldn't do it without you. "We Wish You A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year. "

From Deep Space

2010-11-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday, 60 singers from Women's Chorus will join the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra for a performance of one of the most iconic orchestral suites of all time: "The Planets," written between 1914-1916 by Gustav Holst. In the suite, Holst takes listeners on a journey through the galaxy in an astrological context. Having become intrigued by horoscopes and the differing personalities of planets, he formed his musical thesis around the ideas and emotions associated with their alleged influence on the human psyche.

"Neptune, the Mystic," was the seventh and last planet he featured as a movement of his work (Earth was excluded for astrological reasons and Pluto was not yet discovered to even be considered a planet). Holst saw Neptune as the most transcendent and distant planet of all. He captured that mysticism with long, lyrical phrases featuring various winds and an eight-part women's chorus.

Listen to a recording of "Neptune" below, performed by the BBC Philharmonic, and then hear the BYU Women's Chorus and the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra present the full suite on Nov. 17 in the deJong concert hall (http://www.byuarts.com/).

FYI: The female chorus begins singing at about 4:27 in the video and breaks into the eight-part harmonies at about 5:05.

I'll Sing Hallelujah

2010-11-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the first few weeks of learning "Hallelujah," Sis. Applonie mentioned that it was rooted in the Sacred Harp style, referring to the brighter tone and alternative vowels we were using. I decided to do a bit of research on Sacred Harp and - to my delight - discovered some things about it that are reminiscent of the way we sing and love "Hallelujah" in class. Below are a variety of facts about Sacred Harp singing.

The original core music from this genre was published in The Sacred Harp in 1844, featuring tunes by New England composers.
A group of traditional sacred harp singers, referred to as a "class," will gather and sit in a "hollow square" with different parts on each side.

Many singers will beat or swing their hands in time with the conductor (or "leader") in an effort to support the leader and keep the class together.

They often sing without instrumental accompaniment with a remarkable resonance, volume, intensity and enthusiasm.

The purpose of singing, for traditional sacred harp singers, is for their own enjoyment and inspiration, not for a listening audience.

We have been given the opportunity to dedicate so many of our songs to other people in our lives (Jeanie, Under the Willow, Jehovah, etc.), but maybe this one can be for us - for our "own enjoyment and inspiration rather than [just] for a listening audience."

Images From Under A Willow Tree

2010-11-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

There are some particular things I always visualize when we sing Under the Willow. Since it has been a bit of time since we've really rehearsed the song, I thought it might be a nice refresher to dwell on some of the specific images that drive both the lyrics and music as we dust it off for the concert this weekend.

First, we can revisit our image of the child. Each of us has a completely different, personal picture of this individual. Perhaps the thing we can all recall, however, is how dear and tender that person is to us. We can ponder the beauty of life, the simplicity of childhood, the love of a mother and the promise of life after death.

Next, I believe we have all pictured the mourning mother at one time or another. It is her emotions, prayers, movements, and thoughts that we follow through the course of the song. We can remember her pain, her hope, and how it is braided into so many aspects of the music.

Last of all, I thought it would be helpful to picture the willow tree itself. What is significant about a weeping willow? Does the tree seem to share in the mother's pain, or does it shelter her with comfort and peace? How does it set the scene for the song? I found two photographs that might represent the themes of sorrow and hope expressed in Under the Willow.

Please feel free to post any comments or thoughts that cross your mind as you revisit these images and their meaning to you.

Go to the Oven & Make Some Ever Lovin'

2010-10-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking about our song Shoo Fly Pie... what is Shoo Fly Pie and is it really as good as we make it out to be? I decided to Google it and get a feel for its alleged deliciousness. It actually looks quite scrumptious, and I think you should give the recipe a try. Let us know if it really does make "your eyes light up."

Shoo Fly Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

· 6 ounces all-purpose flour

· 1/2 teaspoon table salt

· 3 ounces unsalted butter, chilled

· 1-ounce lard, chilled

· 4 tablespoons ice water, in spritz bottle

· Approximately 32 ounces dried beans, blind baking

Crumbs:

· 5 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour

· 4 ounces dark brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

· 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:

· 3/4 cup boiling water

· 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

· 8 ounces molasses, by weight

· 1 whole egg, beaten

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust:

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed. Place mixture in large resealable bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 2 (9-inch) metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out in the bag until it reaches the edges of the bag and is 10 to 11-inches round. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough on 1 side and turn a 9-inch pie pan upside down on the exposed side. Invert the entire thing and gently pull the remaining side of the plastic bag off the dough. Press the dough into the edges around the pan and trim any excess dough. Press the edges of the dough over the lip of the pan. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Poke holes around sides and into the bottom of the dough. Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans. Press beans into edges of dough, set on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until light golden in color, approximately 7 minutes longer. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely while preparing the filling.

Decrease heat of oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crumbs:

Place the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms crumbs. Reserve 1/4 cup and set both aside.

For the filling:

Place the baking soda in a medium mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add the larger amount of crumbs to the molasses mixture and whisk just to combine. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of crumb mixture evenly over the top of the filling. Place pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the filling puffs, begins to look dry and starts to crack slightly. Remove from the oven, transfer to a rack, and cool completely before cutting.

We also sing about Apple Pan Dowdy, so here is a lovely recipe for that as well:

Apple Pan Dowdy

INGREDIENTS

· 4 apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored and sliced

· 1 lemon, juiced

· 2 teaspoons cornstarch

· Pinch salt

· 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup

· 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/4 cup orange

liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

· Basic Sweet Pie Crust, recipe follows

· Whipped cream, for serving

· Caramel ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl combine the apples with the lemon juice,cornstarch, and salt and toss to combine. Add 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and stir well. Toss with the orange liqueur. Transfer to a heated, large skillet.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crust to a thickness of 1/8-inch and transfer to the top of the fruit mixture. Trim the edges flush with the edges of the skillet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut several steam vents in the top of the pie crust. Bake the pandowdyuncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove the pandowdy from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Use the edge of a metal spatula to cut the crust into 1-inch squares, then press the crust down into the filling. Return the pandowdy to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the pandowdy warm, with a dollop of whipped cream and a scoop of caramel ice cream.

Basic Sweet Pie Crust:

8 ounces all purpose flour, about 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/4 pound) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and work with your fingers until the water is incorporated and the dough comes together. Add more water as needed to make a smooth dough, being careful not to over mix. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Enjoy! Maybe you can bring some to class share...

One more thing for the Tutorial...

2010-03-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Haha. Silly me. IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE EVENT ON Facebook, It's PROBABLY because you have not RSVP'd.

In order to remedy this, go here

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203203425949

and then join the Event. Then you can continue with the tutorial from the "invite people" point.

Any more questions? Let me know if it works! Thanks Ladies!

Facebook Tutorial

2010-02-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! This is the tutorial on how to invite all your facebook friends to the Concert!

It's pretty effective. I've invited over 800 people this way. :)

OK! First go to your home page...

Then click on the events tab on the Left.

You will then be taken to the events page. Find the BYU Women's Chorus event and click!

Then you will see this button underneath the picture of the WC logo on the RIGHT of the screen.

When you click that button, this will pop up on your screen. Click on the Filter friends button.

You will then be able to choose the networks you want in order to invite your friends.

Once you choose the network, click on the select all button.

Add a personal message! They want to hear from you!

Then hit send invitations!

Easy Enough Right?

Details from Devotional

2010-02-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

Today we heard an amazing message-

Brigitta shared a story in which, she had the opportunity to go to the BYU Jerusalem Center. (Which I believe is a FANTASTIC opportunity!) While there, she and her group had the privilege to sing a few hymns. After singing the first hymn, she had the strong impression to sing, "How Great Thou Art." She convinced her group to sing this stirring hymn next, and while it was a beautiful experience, she still didn't know why they needed to sing it. They went on singing a few more hymns. After the singing was finished, a woman approached Brigitta's group and told them a touching story... The woman's husband had died recently, and "How Great Thou Art" had been his favorite hymn. While she was listening to the singing of several groups, she had been praying to feel her husband's presence. That's when Brigitta's group sang the husband's favorite hymn. She was so grateful. Understanding dawned and peace enveloped them.

This was a testimony that 1. The Lord loves and Cares for each of us as individuals, and knows how we can best be comforted and communicated with, 2. We may not know why we receive inspiration, but it is IMPORTANT to follow the promptings we receive, and 3. We, as musicians, can spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through song when we may not be able preach or proselyte. Our Testimony of Christ and his Love shines in our eyes and burns in our hearts, and is conveyed in our song. You can't miss it. So sing on. Sing on.

A Happy Hello

2010-02-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

Hello My Dear Sisters!

Welcome to the Official BYU Women's Chorus Blog! Hopefully we will be able to keep you all updated on the latest happenings in the Women's Chorus. For now, I hope you will enjoy the Devotional Recap. (posted above!) Thank you for all your hard work! :)

Happy Singing!

100 Dresses!

2009-04-16T09:49:00.001-07:00

group pictures

2009-03-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hey girls,

The file size of these should be big enough if you want to download them for whatever purpose. Just click on the pic and it will make it good :) Thanks again for coming out so we could take it!

Love,
Meagan

Choralfest fun!

2009-02-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

Winter Retreat!

2009-01-10T07:43:00.001-08:00

First of all, AWESOME retreat! Thanks to Lisa and everyone on her activities committee for making it a blast, and of course to Aimoku and her crew for getting together a wonderful dinner (*breakfast?*) and treats.

And congratulations and welcome to all the new girls in Women's Chorus. We're excited to get to know you and have an amazing semester.

Here are a LOT of pictures...I went a little camera happy. :)

Love,
Meagan (the one who is trying to learn all your names, but might fail miserably, so please forgive)

P.S. Sorry, I don't have very many Alto 1 pictures...I've been told that I play favorites too much... :)

Giselle and Cara

Rachael and Natalie

Haha, oh Sister Applonie. :)

Sister A with some Alto 2's

Soprano 2's...+ a lost sheep...

Sister A was trying to figure out what in the heck they were doing.

Some Soprano 1's...and that lost sheep popped up again...

Allie, Carrie, Laurel, and Taleah

Rachel, Aimoku, and Kelly preparing the food

Tiffany, Nikki, Kristen, Tiffany, and Brooke

Hannah and Sarah

Diana, Caitlin, Leah, Christiana, Marissa, Andrea, Madilyn...and...is that Annalee?

Hannah, Jessica, and Jenna

Jessica and Danielle

Elise, Heather, Sarah, and Caity

Rachel and Giselle

Stephanie, Brittany, Sara, Ana-Lisa, and Elena

Shea and Tricia

Jenny and Neisah

Meagan and Jessie

The Tree of our Dreams!!!

2008-12-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our beautiful tree that we all worked so hard to make. Thanks to all of you for your help with the ornaments and the money. We couldn't have done it without you!!

In the beginning... was a big fat mess, ornaments in bags and a tree in a box.

Finally, the tree is up!!!! Time to decorate.

Look at those gorgeous ornaments on the tree, and those hotties decorating it :)

I got to spend a lot of time under, and in, the tree. What a wonderful life.

Just a reminder of what Christmas is really all about.

Here it is again in all of its glory.

I am so proud of everyone who helped to make this tree a reality. Your love and caring helped to improve the lives of so many children at Primary Children's Medical Center. You are all wonderful.

Our Tree!

2008-12-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

2008-11-28T14:07:00.001-08:00

DON'T FORGET:
backslider prevention over thanksgiving break!
(2 twenty minute review sessions/ 4 ten minute session)
our concert will be AMAZING! love you all! -stephanie anderson.

Women's Chorus has a blog!!!

2008-11-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!! We finally have a blog! Here's where everyone can get copies of the pictures we take at the concerts/activities and keep up with everything going on in the BYU Women's Chorus! We'll have announcements, tracks of songs (hopefully), and other fun stuff that I haven't thought of yet... :)

So, if anyone has pictures or announcements they would like to go up on the blog, email them to byuwomenschorus@gmail.com but please, keep all announcements specific to Women's Chorus. We love you all and hope you are having a wonderful break before we hit it hard for finals!

(P.S. If you click on the picture, you can get it big, then download it. More pictures to come soon!)