The UofSC Choir goes Abroad!

The music department at USC Aiken is always looking for the chance to create music, and although Covid-19 has put a lot of plans on stand-by, there’s still a lot to look forward to quite soon.

An excellent example of this is the USC Aiken concert choir’s trip to Italy scheduled for next summer. Under the baton of Dr. Joel Scraper, the concert choir has traveled to Italy in the past, and it was a great opportunity for music and art students to experience some of the rich culture Italy had to offer, as well as the amazing opportunity to perform in an Italian cathedral.

In preparation for the trip, the concert choir has already started to sing through some of the pieces that are going to be taken to Italy. A few examples of the pieces that the concert choir will be performing overseas include “Ubi Caritas”, which is a Latin sacred work from modern Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo that borrows elements from the Classical era of music history. Another example is from Italian born Renaissance composer Giovanni Palestrina, “Sicut Cervus”. This work is also in Latin, which is important as it is customary for Latin religious music to be performed in Italian cathedrals.

The concert choir, currently made up of 12 singers, eagerly waits for next summer’s trip. In the meanwhile, check them out here in Aiken! For either music or non-music majors, if you like to sing, play an instrument or make music of any kind, there’s a place for you in our music department. Don’t be afraid to reach out!