A Unique Recording Session

Previously, I wrote about singing a concert in Foellinger Great Hall with the University of Illinois Chamber Singers, which was recorded for Carle Hospital patients. We did not record all of our repertoire, and the following week, we decided to continue our recording streak, but this time, it would be in a strikingly different location! The Women’s Glee Club has used the Krannert Center Green Parking Garage for their rehearsals and recordings, so we followed their lead, and the results were fabulous! Dr. Megill spoke highly of the acoustics in this unique space-- he compared them to those of a cathedral, which would make the space ideal for some of our haunting a capella pieces. ​

We positioned ourselves in the back of the garage, and tech-savvy choir member Sinhaeng Lee set up his recording equipment. The pieces we sang in this space were “There Will be Rest” by Frank Ticheli, the thematically similar “Rest” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the Kyrie movement from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor. The space truly did not disappoint, as I felt that each of the pieces benefitted from the rich acoustics of the space. I thought that as a singer, the sustain of the garage provided great aural feedback and actually helped me to sing with consistent intonation and resonance. When listening to the recordings, I thought that the space really elevated our group’s coherence as an ensemble. There was also a low-pressure and fun feeling to singing in a space not strictly associated with performance, which I felt made us sing even better. There were a few moments of sudden noise from vehicles, but that was part of the experience! Dr. Megill said the choir department will make further use of this space in the future, and I look forward to that. There are fabulously-edited videos on the Choirs at University of Illinois Facebook page if you are interested in watching these performances. 

Geoffrey Schmelzer