Junior James Slipp showcased his vocal skills during his junior recital on Sunday, April 7 in the Redfern Arts Center Alumni Recital Hall.
Slipp performed pieces in a variety of languages such as Italian, German, French and Latin. He was accompanied by Faculty Pianist Vladimir Odinokikh and Music Department Faculty Cellist Amanda Paul.
The performance began with the piece “The Roadside Fire” by composer R. Vaughan Williams. According to the program notes, “A lively piano accompaniment creates a playful atmosphere for the first part of the song. The latter half turns more serious, as the traveler envisions private moments with his lover, until the joyful music of the opening returns.”
The second piece was titled “In der Fremde,” a German piece by Robert Schumann. Slipp performed another German piece titled “Die Forelle” composed by Franz Schubert later in the recital. According to Slipp, German was his favorite language to sing in for the pieces in the recital.
“For everyone it’s different, most people their favorite is Italian or their least favorite is usually German or French … German just makes me more happy than any other language,” Slipp said.
Additionally, Slipp performed two French pieces by composer Gabriel Faure titled “Les Berceaux” and “Lydia.” According to the program notes, Faure wrote “Lydia” about an individual who, “proclaims his love for the golden-haired Lydia.”
Slipp also showcased pieces in Italian such as “Le Violette” and “Come raggio di sol” and Latin pieces such as “Quia fecit mihi magna” by J.S. Bach. The performance concluded with “Sometimes a Day Goes By” from the Broadway musical “Woman of the Year.”
Senior Amelia Guarino attended the recital and said she was impressed with Slipp’s performance.
“Knowing James since he was a freshman, being able to see him grow so much vocally was really incredible to me,” Guarino said. “And also as a stage performer, I feel like he’s improved so much.
Guarino added, “It was honestly such a treat to be able to come here during my senior year to see him grow from what he was when he was a freshman … He’s made so much progress and I’m so proud of him.”
Slipp said one of the most exciting parts of the recital process was the opportunity the performance gave to showcase a variety in repertoire.
“I love for me as a performer to get to share and experience many different kinds of music,” Slipp said. “And I think for an audience member it’s not just one type of music so it’ll really be engaging.”
When first attending Keene State, Slipp said he did not think he would go into the music performance track, but after receiving lessons from his instructor Dr. Daniel Carberg, he felt confident it was the right fit for him.
“I wasn’t planning on being a performance major and it’s definitely helpful to have such a supportive teacher who is there to help me figure out stuff about my voice and what I want to do as a singer,” Slipp said.
Regarding how he has improved since his first year at Keene State, Slipp said, “My range increased, I feel like I’ve become a lot more confident in myself and what my voice sounds like,” Slipp said. “My joy for singing has been increasing every year.”
Carberg could not be reached for an interview for The Equinox.
Nicole Dumont can be contacted at
ndumont@kscequinox.com
