Choir Performs at Carnegie Hall

When junior choir member and Co-Recruitment Chair John McCaffrey gazed out into the audience, he was met with a breathtaking sight: four tiers of balconies filled with an almost sold-out crowd, buzzing with energy.

“During the performance, I looked out and saw the audience members in the balcony really getting into it. They were dancing, cheering and smiling. Their enthusiasm is a moment I will remember forever,” said McCaffrey, who’s also a member of the Sacred Heart University Choir ensemble 4 Heart Harmony.

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, McCaffrey and members of the 4 Heart Harmony group traveled to Carnegie Hall to accompany professional violinist Alexander Markov in the finale of his show “Baroque to Rock.”

“That is not something I ever thought would happen. When you’re little, you dream of performing at Carnegie Hall, never imagining that dream would come true, and now it has,” said sophomore choir member Luanna Da Rocha.

Markov invited the Sacred Heart Choral Program and the choir from the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts to perform his original upbeat piece, “Let’s Have Fun,” during the finale.

“It was a real honor to share the stage with Markov. His enthusiasm was infectious and encouraged us to match his energy,” McCaffrey said.

Markov is a classically trained violinist who studied in Moscow and now resides in the United States. He has a passion for both classical and rock music and composes songs combining these two genres. 

His show, “Baroque to Rock,” with renowned concert pianist Christie Julien began with Vivaldi and progressed through different musical eras, ultimately leading to rock and roll.

Markov changed his costumes and violins for each performance to reflect the style and era of the piece. The show opened with a performance from the Baroque period, during which he wore a costume appropriate for the time and played a period-accurate violin.

Markov also displayed his custom-made violin on Tuesday night, crafted entirely from gold. Sophomore Callixtus O’Neill, a choir member and Co-Production Chair, noted that, unlike the average four-string violin, Markov’s gold violin featured six, producing an elevated sound.

“A couple of weeks before our performance, Alexander came to 4 Heart Harmony’s rehearsal to show us what he does to really immerse ourselves in the show. He was so nice, and he made the music feel alive,” said junior Victoria Grillo, a choir member and fundraising chair.

4 Heart Harmony is an elite chamber choir ensemble composed of tenors, basses, altos and sopranos—a mix of male and female vocalists. While the opportunity was available to any member of the program through audition, the members of 4 Heart Harmony primarily took part.

“The dress rehearsal didn’t hit as hard because there was no audience, but during the actual performance, when you see all of the people watching you, it is just the must unreal experience,” Rocha said.

During the finale of “Let’s Have Fun,” the lights went out and the choir began to hold a note that lasted over a minute. In the meantime, Markov performed a violin solo. As the hall was enveloped in darkness, Markov’s violin shone with red LED lights, making it the only visible thing to the audience. After about thirty seconds, he set that violin down and picked up another, this time covered in white LED lights.

“Markov was running around the stage as we held the final note, playing. If you’re familiar with Star Wars, his violins made it look as if he was holding red and white lightsabers in the air; it was just electric,” O’Neill said.

“Almost 3,000 seats. When you hear three thousand people clapping for you, you just have to smile because it truly is the coolest thing. You can’t even describe it.”

McCaffrey is optimistic that “Baroque to Rock” is just the start of an exciting chapter filled with incredible opportunities for the Choir Program at Sacred Heart University.

“Things are only going to get better for the Performing Arts Program, this is only the beginning,” McCaffrey said.

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