Performance Report: Shakespeare in Song

William Shakespeare was a famous English poet and playwright. He is one of the most influential figures of English history and widely regarded as one the greatest writers of the English language. Even further, Shakespeare is known for his superior theatrical prowess. On the 26^th and 27^th of March, Friday and Saturday evenings respectively, the University of Texas Dallas Chamber Singers showcased a rendition of collection of Shakespeare art entitled “Shakespeare in Song” .

I attended the Friday performance that took place at 8pm that night. The showcase was presented in the Jonsson Performance Hall on UTD’s campus. The Hall itself was not that big, but not miniature either. The stage was big enough to hold a piano, a set of bleachers big enough to hold about a 15-20 piece choir, their accompanying equipment, and lastly a small space for acting out their scenes. The performers were all students either serving as Chamber singers or another part of the performance art program at the university. Since performance is incorporated into these individuals’ curriculum, I believe it was fair to say that they were effectively seasoned in their respective roles with very few mishaps.

On stage, there was the pianist, the director, and the performers. The pianist was off to the left side of the stage enough so as to not take away from the performance but also not far off as to be relegated to the background. Everyone on stage dressed in period clothing, which served to promote a greater connection with audience and really make the context of the performance more engaging.

The entirety of the show was done in two different segments with a brief intermission in the middle. Total, there were 16 different acts and 17 individual pieces performed within them. All of the classical pieces were composed of the pianist and either a soloist and/or choir. There was great variety in moving between pieces. As far as arrangement is concerned, the pianist was the constant throughout with no acapella performances. There was a great amount of contrast between each song in terms of tone, texture, etc. I noticed that each piece went back and forth between dark and gloomy to light and joyful tones while progressing throughout the overall program. With these transitions, there were also differences in the tempos and volume. The increase correlating with the happy feeling music and the decrease effect attached to the darker pieces. In some songs, there was even varying lyrics with the chorus. For instance, the sopranos sang something different from the tenors. I also believe that the piano was pivotal in these transitions, usually playing more intricately in the lighter pieces providing multiple layers (which happened to be where the choir came in most of the time) and fewer layers in the darker performances.

I think it’s worth mentioning that the overall demeanor of the performers was quite composed. There was really no deviating from this unless there was a soloist or there were lines to recite. There was very little grand gesturing on the part of the director. She used little nuances that told the performers when to begin and end, and she gave ques as to when the audience could pay their respects in the form of applause. The audience mostly consisted of students and Chamber Singers of years past. The performance hall was about 40 to 50 percent full I would say and the majority of the students were there on assignment as evidenced by the note taking.

Overall, the performance was a success. The pieces varied enough to keep the audience engaged but similar enough to keep within the parameters of the theme.