DVC’s music department kept up its tradition of challenging music in the “Combined Choir Concert” directed by Brett Peppo on Oct. 29 in the music building room 101.

The concert choir and chamber singers showcased their vocal talents with a diverse selection of music ranging from an African-American gospel song to a German number reminiscent of a smooth waltz.

Concert choir kicked things off with a solo by Moon Park in “Jerusalem, My Happy Home,” a song that relies on “sacred harp” singing, which emphasizes participation, not performance. As a result, these well-trained singers were required to sing like the average person. And while the outcome wasn’t necessarily a pretty choral sound, every singer enthusiastically participated.

The choir then demonstrated its precision with “Come Ye Sons of Art,” in which all voices were in harmony. David Chavez also took the spotlight with a solo in old English, while Allison Bowman and Jason Brandolino shared a lovely duet.

The concert choir then switched gears with the upbeat song, “Cornerstone,” which demonstrated the singers’ power singing. Although the words “cornerstone of a whole new world” were drilled into the audience’s heads by the end of the number, the singers left no doubt about their excellent voice projection and strength.

The chamber singers then took over with the Latin piece, “Round,” and as the name implies, they left the front of the room and surrounded the audience so it could be engulfed by music.

One has to admire their use of aleatoric music, or chance music, in which each singer determines the speed at which he or she will sing the designated parts on the spot – or whether he or she even wants to sing all of it. The result was a beautiful array of voices, with tenors, altos, and sopranos all harmoniously intermingled.

Next up was “Psalm 98.” It’s admirable that every singer was metrically able to stay together in this challenging piece because it lacks a meter pattern. Still, they pulled it off successfully.

The chamber singers closed the program with the A capella number, “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal.” The singers surely gave it their all, with the sopranos hitting all of their high notes and each “Hallelujah” just as powerful as the last.