The Homecoming Reunion Concert marked the first time Hillsdale’s three choirs each presented their own music at the same concert. Nearly 30 alumni joined the College Choir, Chamber Choir, and Choral Scholars onstage in Christ Chapel Oct. 10.
“This has been really my dream since I’ve been involved in the program, to see the choral programs come together and produce a statement of choral music,” Director of Choirs Bradley Holmes said. “We’re all in this together now.”
Holmes said the Choral Scholars, who spend most of their time singing for weekly Evensong services, recognized a need to be involved in different concerts and performances.
“Alumni from all of the choirs will participate with us,” Holmes said. “This is huge for me because I really want to see this as a statement of coming together. At the same time, every choir is going to sing their own music, so they’re not losing their identity.”
The College Choir also joined with the chapel to perform Evensong Oct. 11. Holmes said the choirs watching each other perform was like having guests at one’s house.
“They’re going to sing something, and the other choirs become the audience,” Holmes said. “You want to do the best, but it’s not competitive. Not like, ‘OK we win, the judges score you;’ it’s more, ‘Here’s what we can present to you,’ and I think it’s going to create a great atmosphere of encouragement between the ensembles.”
Holmes said though the different choirs tend toward different styles of music, he and Associate Professor of Music Timothy McDonnell, who leads the Choral Scholars, wanted to try music that could bring all the choirs together.
Along with the alma mater song, “White and Blue,” the three choirs sang “Jubilate Deo,” a piece brand new to everyone, and “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether” together.
“It’s a bring-us-together kind of tune. That’s all part of homecoming,” Holmes said.
The alumni had one hour to learn the pieces on the day of the concert, according to Holmes. Holmes said the alumni rehearsed until 11:30 a.m. before the concert at noon, but they had coffee and donuts to get them through.
Vinny Acuña ’26 said she loved coming back to sing with the choirs for the first time as an alumna and participate in that shared experience again.
“It feels like everything has just stood still, like you come back and everything’s the same,” Acuña said. “There’s a sense in being in choir where you get to do something with so many other people, and you develop a community.”
Acuña said she appreciated that the pieces were easy to learn, and she enjoyed performing with the Choral Scholars.
“It helped that everyone knew what they were doing,” Acuña said. “It was great to see everyone together.”
Holmes had worked as assistant to the choral program last year and covered a sabbatical for James Holleman, retired professor of music, choirs, and orchestra.
“What I love about Hillsdale is that these are bright minds and bright intellects and bright futures in the world, but they have an artistic understanding, and they’re bringing that artistry into their life,” Holmes said.
Sophomore Norah Veliz, a member of Chamber Choir, said she loves the community of choir that allows her to make friends and sing. Veliz’s favorite piece from the performance was “The Moon is Distant from the Sea,” originally a poem by Emily Dickinson.
“Everyone does it really well, and they’re really committed to doing the piece,” Veliz said. “There was just a lot of sensitivity to the music and the musicality of all the dynamics and the shaping, which I thought was really beautiful. And it’s always really enjoyable when everyone locks in.”
