Singing Statesmen showcase UW talent, pride

Sheila McGuire, Herald Reporter
Posted 2/18/18

UW singers delight Evanston crowd

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Singing Statesmen showcase UW talent, pride

Posted

EVANSTON — What do you get when more than 50 young college men, the vast majority of them not music majors, gather on stage to sing in a non-auditioned musical group? Those who attended the most recent installment of the Arts, Inc. Concert Series at Davis Middle School on Friday, Feb. 9, could tell you the answer is the University of Wyoming Singing Statesmen. They could also tell you that if you missed this particular performance, you were truly missing out.

Donned in their “Golden Glory” suits featuring UW gold vests and ties, the Singing Statesmen offered up an eclectic mix of tunes, from a traditional Macedonian folk song to emotional laments of soldiers in the Civil War and World War I, after having spent the day visiting and working with students at Evanston schools. 

Director Nicole Lamartine explained that there is no audition required to participate in the group, which is a semester-by-semester class offered at UW. New singers come in and out each semester, depending on their academic schedule, and they coming from diverse majors such as engineering, finance, English and psychology, to name a few. When Lamartine asked for a show of hands for who in the group was actually a music major, those hands numbered less than a dozen out of the 52 men gathered on stage. 

Since participation in the group is an actual class, some of those performing had only been involved since the spring semester began on Jan. 22, meaning they’d had only a handful of rehearsals before their visit to Evanston. For some, the Singing Statesmen is the first vocal group they’ve ever been involved with. 

The men dedicated the love song “Til the Stars Fall from the Sky” to Evanston’s Heidi and Nate Baxter in honor of the couple’s anniversary. Nate and the rest of the Evanston Men’s Chorus joined the Singing Statesmen on their opening number, “Brothers, Sing On.” 

Midway through the concert, several men left the stage while a handful remained to perform a trio of tunes with the student-directed pop acapella group, “The Happy Jacks.” The audience, and the performers themselves, delighted in renditions of the 1950s tune “Life Could be a Dream,” the 1980s pop hit, “Africa,” and the modern dance track, “Stitches.” 

Audience members cheered as the men danced, sang and recreated drum beats and other instruments using nothing but vocals. 

The entire chorus returned for “Mis on inimene” by Estonian conductor Paert Uusberg. Lamartine provided a bit of lyrical translation for the tune, which says, “If all souls come together, everyone is an instrument.” 

This was followed by a haunting tune entitled “Grace in the Sun,” which combined the religious hymn “Amazing Grace,” with the rock classic “House of the Rising Sun.” The selection featured solos from three performers, and again elicited cheers from the audience. 

Closing out the evening was “Yellow Bird,” featuring a flute and percussion, and for an encore selection, the Singing Statesmen fired up the crowd with “Ragtime Cowboy Joe.” 

The diversity in backgrounds and the lack of prior choral experience were in no way a detriment to the performance, and, if anything, seemed to add to the joy of the men singing and the appreciation of the audience. The talent was undeniable and the enthusiasm on display was contagious. 

The next installment of the Arts, Inc. Concert Series will take place at 7 p.m., on Friday, Feb. 23, at Davis Middle School, and will feature the BYU Chamber Orchestra.