Conducting Handel’s Messiah for the last several years has not kept Amber Lauridsen busy enough it seems, because this year she will be conducting a Fall Concert with the Master Chorale as well as the young singers of Nova Stella, Latin for youth chorus, at the Presbyterian church Nov. 17.
“The main event will be Vivaldi’s Gloria,” Lauridsen said. One of Vivaldi’s popular pieces, Gloria contains uplifting music written for an orphanage in Valencia. Initially sung by girls, the songs notes are primarily Alto and Soprano. The composition had fallen out of favor but was rediscovered in the 1920s, Lauridsen said and is now considered one of his better pieces. The concert on Nov. 17 will be the first public appearance of Nova Stella, a group of 17 students ranging in age from 11-18 These rising stars will be singing four songs including “I Met a Bird,” and “Why We Sing,” both which promote hope and peace.
Lauridsen said young Nova Stella has already come far during the months she has been teaching them and believes the community will be impressed by their talent.
Though an introvert, Lauridsen began as a piano player and singer long before becoming a conductor. She is well aware of the pitfalls singers can fall into. She attributes her success as a teacher and conductor to her excellent teachers, like Don Newham at UCLA as well as her introverted tendancies.
“I would find my whole body getting tense,” she said, but she learned different techniques to relax. From her own experience, Lauridsen said, she knows what to look and listen for in her singers. “I listen more carefully at how they sing and why they are making that kind of sound. According to my experience, the tensions and nervousness [effect that sound].”
Lauridsen is constantly reflecting on different ways to teach, saying “I always think how can I teach because we have so many people that have never sung before, do not read music.” She often begins with childrens songs, Once they get the scales down, they are able to pick up the notes, the intervals.
“She isn’t just an excellent musician, seh is also a teacher, a visionary. What I appreciate about Amber is that she brings in all kinds of music and she makes it fun,” Master Chorale member Kathleen Williams said. As a result, Lauridsen has pulled together a group of islanders from all walks of life, with varying backgrounds. Although not an easy task, Lauridsen believes it fills a gap in the community.
“Music is a bridge, it can take away war,” she said. “If we want a world of peace, we have the seeds in our hands. We want to have to plant the seeds of hope and peace,” she said, explaining the importance of music.
Although Lauridsen considers what an audience would like to listen to when organizing concerts, she said it is also important to incorporate music that is simultaneously fun and challenging for the choir.
Acapellas are challenging, she noted, because they are “so exposed, so naked. First you have to stay in the tune, the pitch. The harmony is also exposed. If you sing your line by yourself, its fine. If you put them together [if not done correctly] it clashes. You have to hear it, you have to comfortable to sing the exact pitch so that together it shiimmers.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m., and is free to the public. If one misses the fall concert, The Messiah will be Dec. 18. Lauridsen and her choir are also planning a spring concert in April 25.
“These concerts are free. They are our gift to the community,” said Williams.
