The January 26 snow storm did not stop the Gorham High School (GHS) chamber singers from visiting with Jacob Narverud, an American composer, arranger, and conductor who has been commissioned to write new works for many choral ensembles and organizations.
GHS teacher Matthew Murray, who directs the group, noticed that Narverud was conducting at this year’s District 1 Music Festival at York High School and hired him to work with the audition choir on one of his original pieces, “The Song We Sing.”
“The Song We Sing” is about coming together through music. Narverud led the group through brainstorming ideas before he started, saying that there were no wrong answers and music is to be interpreted.
“I think it’s a song about choir, community, togetherness, and about the fact that when you come into a space like this choir, where if you allow yourself, the rest of the world cannot exist. There is meditation in choir,” Narverud replied when a student asked him what he thought about his piece.
There was certainly a sense of community in the room as he worked through the song. He instructed singers to open their soft palates, a musical term for raising the back of the mouth to create a brighter sound.
He was filled with positive enforcement, “Say a quick little prayer and drop your shoulders,” he encouraged.
The choir sang through the song multiple times, paying close attention to his directions, and, by the end, the song had transformed into better-than-concert ready.
The night ended with a short question and answer session. It was truly an illuminating and educational night.