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| Vocalist Bobby McFerrin Conducts Master Class with Madrigals and Madriguys |
Text by Madrigal Julia Stroud '03The Shipley Madriguys and Madrigals are no strangers to travel on a fully outfitted motor coach. As the groups boarded the bus Friday morning, April 4th, the singers were reminded of their snowy trip to Williamsburg, VA in February over the fateful President’s Day weekend. This day trip to Baltimore, Maryland was, however, snow free and included a master class taught by the legendary Bobby McFerrin, an opportunity to sing in the Inner Harbor, and a concert by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mr. McFerrin. Sue Hoaglund, Performing Arts Director at Shipley, scheduled the event to give the students an opportunity to see the vocal soloist and conductor Bobby McFerrin perform, as well as work with him on the pieces the groups were performing in the upcoming Inter-Acappella concert, nicknamed Six-Pac. The annual concert includes performances from area schools Baldwin, Episcopal, Agnes Irwin, and Haverford and the Shipley singers always strive to put their best foot forward.   The singers were accompanied by Ms. Hoaglund, Madriguy director Bob Rowland, Madrigal director Tom Whittemore, and chaperones Kristen Jaffe and Kathryn Franco. Upon arrival in Baltimore, the Guys and Gals were led into the depths of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to a small rehearsal room under the stage. The room tittered with nervous energy as the students and chaperones waited for the entrance of the legendary vocal musician, performer of Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and featured Sesame Street guest. Mr. McFerrin entered sporting jeans and a black t-shirt with a silk-screened valentine heart. His casual look and “just-got-out-of-bed” attitude immediately put the singers at ease. The group then sang their combined African American Spiritual for him as he listened intently. Senior Alex Garfield noted “he gave us a lot of helpful input about our dynamics.” The Gals sang their rendition of Feelin’ Groovy and Mr. McFerrin helped them loosen their delivery and pep up their rhythms. When the Guys sang The Beatles’ Because, Mr. McFerrin instructed them to turn around and sing it to the girls. The boys obliged, happily. The hour-long class flew by and Mr. McFerrin ended it with an entirely vocal arrangement of The Beatles’ Blackbird. After the performance, senior Elliot Strathmann deemed Mr. McFerrin “wicked cool.” To pass the time between the master class and the evening’s performance, the Madriguys and Madrigals performed in the Inner Harbor a mix of their repertoire from the Williamsburg trip and their pieces for the upcoming a cappella concert. Despite the frigid temperatures, the group attracted a modest-size crowd including a few Shipley parents in town for a retreat.   The highlight of the day came, however, with the concert. Bobby McFerrin conducted Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Barber’s Agnus Dei, and two Bach selections. At the close of the first half Mr. McFerrin let the large audience in on the vocal improvisations he had wowed the Shipley group with earlier in the day. He invited the soloists to sing with him, most notably tenor Richard Croft in a vibrant, improvised rendition of Gershwin’s Summertime. The day was a perfect preparation for the April 9th Inter-Acappella concert. Mr. McFerrin gave the groups confidence in their abilities and license to spice up their rhythms and overall performance. The Guys and Gals might have enjoyed being snow bound on this trip if it had allowed more time to experience working with Bobby McFerrin. April 2003
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Vocalist Bobby McFerrin Conducts Master Class with Madrigals and Madriguys