New voices ready, new opportunities ahead for SC State Concert Choir

At least 25 new freshmen join the premier vocal ensemble as it builds on its historic Carnegie Hall performance and prepares for the year ahead

The choir involves more than participating in campus concerts. It also requires discipline and dedication as the ensemble prepares for what Felder hopes will be an exciting year.

'Great things to look forward to'

"We're returning to our Broadway at SC State programming. It's going to be a fusion of both Broadway and opera, so we have a lot of great things to look forward to," Felder said.

"We have a lot of very talented freshmen to add to our existing ensemble. There are going to be a lot of new faces. We're anticipating that, and then we'll also present our fall concert in November," he said.

The choir has at least 25 new freshmen. It also includes students from the first Bahamian cohort to enroll at the university through SC State's educational partnership with the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

"We have five of those students in choir this semester. A sixth one had some issues with her visa, but we're anticipating her arrival in the spring," Felder said.

He said the choir's performances can serve as recruitment and retention tools, including its performances this year at Charleston's Spoleto Festival USA and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In June, the choir performed Adolphus Hailstork's sacred cantata "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes" at Carnegie Hall in New York City, marking the first time the choir performed there.

"It was an amazing experience just to see them enter the stage, the lights and all of the beauty that is the hall in addition to its historic nature. It was quite an experience," Felder said, noting that the choir was joined by three other smaller ensembles from California and Michigan.

Ahead of its Carnegie Hall performance, the choir sang at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, where Felder said the church choir is largely made up of African American opera singers.

"Our students learned a whole lot. They were small fish in a big pond, but they rose to the occasion consistently, and for that I'm so proud. We've already got an invitation to come back, so we'll see what happens," Felder said.

Concert Choir members Kennedy Cunningham, Jayden Wright, Nina Davis, Natrell DeLyons and Jonea Holmes with Dr. Johnnie Felder. Lessons learned, lives changed

SC State Concert Choir members described their experience at Carnegie Hall as surreal.

"Coming from an HBCU and performing not just the art form that's predominantly white but performing at a place that's usually only featuring white choirs and white ensembles, it's definitely life changing. It's probably a story I'll be telling my kids and grandkids," said Jayden Wright, a senior music industry major from Orangeburg.

The 22-year-old said he's enjoyed the camaraderie among choir members.

"I've met people on the choir that led me to joining organizations on campus and other things, but I also think my other favorite thing is the family aspect," Wright said.

Kennedy Cunningham, a senior music education major from Greenville, South Carolina, said she missed an opportunity to go to Carnegie Hall in eighth grade but was glad the opportunity arose years later.

"I kept saying the entire year that this is my redemption, so it was very surreal. My eyes started watering just a little bit," the 21-year-old said.

She said being in the choir is a natural fit for her and that she has learned many lessons.

"My family's very musically inclined, and we're always singing in some type of church choir," Cunningham said.

Natrell DeLyons, a sophomore music education major from Watertown, New York, who now lives in Columbia, said performing at Carnegie Hall was fun.

"I enjoyed the ambience and just seeing my family and taking pictures up there, as well. The orchestra played well, and we sang well," he said.

The 19-year-old said he joined the choir because he has been singing his whole life and appreciated the welcoming atmosphere he found at SC State.

"I come from a singing family up in the St. Stephen area in South Carolina. My mom sings, my dad sang, my grandma actually had the same major at USC. So I've just been singing with them," DeLyons said.

He said the choir takes dedication and commitment, but he's up for the challenge.

"You don't want to waste people's time; you want to give them a show," DeLyons said.

Jonea Holmes, 19, is a sophomore music education major from the Bronx, New York.

She said her experience at Carnegie Hall was amazing.

"Just walking in and seeing the grand halls and all the seats - it felt unreal at first, but once we started, it felt great. It felt like one of my first professional environments as a singer," Holmes said.

Nina Davis, 22, is a senior music education major from Columbia, South Carolina.

She considered it an honor to perform at Carnegie Hall.

"To be a group of Black students that attend an HBCU in Orangeburg, South Carolina, we really put ourselves in the forefront of the music industry. It was an honor getting to perform on a stage that many other legends got to perform. We're a part of that legacy," Davis said.

'A very nurturing environment'

Felder said he enjoys seeing how his students evolve through the rehearsal process.

"They can find their voice in many different aspects. It's a very nurturing environment," he said, noting that he enjoys helping develop his students into responsible young adults.

"We are a staple in this community, and we are usually a part of all the major functions that happen on this campus as the premier vocal ensemble," Felder said.

Embarking on a regional tour with the choir is among his other goals.

He also thanked alumni, parents and university faculty and staff for their continued support.