Over the winter break, members of The Chorale, The Undertones and the Liturgical Choir went on their winter tours and showcased their music to audiences across the country.
The Chorale, the official concert choir of Notre Dame, began their Winter Tour on Jan. 9 and will conclude Jan. 15 in Chicago. According to their website, The Chorale sings a variety of songs from the Renaissance to present day.
“I was really pleased with how it went,” Carmen Casillas, senior and tour manager of Chorale, said. “There were a lot of freshmen who came on tour, which is always incredibly exciting, and I really believe that we sounded the best that we ever have.”
According to Casillas, their performance on tour included songs from their Fall Concert as well as Christmas music. The Chorale practiced with when they arrived back on campus with a long rehearsal and also practiced for half an hour before each concert.
“My favorite song to perform on tour is always the Alma Mater sung directly into the fight song because we invite any alums and current students to join us to sing it, but this year it was almost eclipsed by our performance of Silent Night,” Casillas said.
The Undertones, Notre Dame’s 13-man a cappella ensemble, toured five cities on their winter tour in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
“We had a great time and were blessed with incredible hospitality from Notre Dame Clubs across the Southeastern United States,” Stuart Streit, junior and president of The Undertones, said.
Daniel Pedroza, sophomore and communications director of The Undertones said that one of his favorite moments included recording an EP with five songs from the past semester. Pedroza also said the 13-member group had enough free time on tour to go kayaking through the Everglades.
“It’s an experience that you wouldn’t get normally,” Pedroza said. “To get to tour with 12 of your best friends is great … it’s a lot of singing in the car.”
The Notre Dame Liturgical Choir went on their a Texas tour and sang for one high school and five parishes in Dallas, San Antonio and Austin.
“It was a wonderful way for the choir to get to know each other better and share our music with parishes throughout Texas,” Patricia Bartlett, junior and treasurer of Liturgical Choir, said.
Liturgical Choir’s performance during their Texas tour consisted of 17 pieces that the choir had learned throughout the year. While on their tour, members of Liturgical Choir were welcome into the homes of Notre Dame’s alumni clubs of Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
Jimmy Kelly, president of the Liturgical Choir, said that his favorite moment on tour was when he and other choristers sang the Notre Dame Alma Mater in Austin under the dome of the Texas State Capitol.
“Circled around the Lone Star Seal adorning the capitol floor, we joined together in harmony as one family [and] one voice,” Kelly said.
