Iowa State Singers performed Oct. 19 at the Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall.

It was obvious the choir enjoyed their songs as they bounced with the beat as they sang. Each voice was unique, and as a group they were not only matching but harmoniously in sync.

“[I’m] so proud of all our students,” said James Rodde, the conductor. 

When Rodde cut off the singers for their last song, the crowd was left in silent awe. One person in the audience whispered, “Wow,” cutting the silence and beginning an eruption of applause.

The third song “Rivers of Light” was inspired by the Northern Lights.

“For me, personally, I didn’t know what they even looked like until I went on YouTube,” Rodde said. “Yellow, green lights filled the sky.”

During “Rivers of Light,” Taylor Troyer, junior in music, and Sam Weigel, junior in kinesiology and health, performed solos.

Troyer, a soprano, had a constant connection with the conductor to watch for cues. Her dynamic repetition was successfully enunciated. Weigel, a tenor, harmonized flawlessly with Troyer. Both singers hit each note with perfect precision.

In the sixth piece, “Peace Flows into Me,” Alex Doser, junior in mathematics, played the piano. He pressed his fingertips across each key in time with the singers forming a serene theme. He made the piece look effortless to play, which showed how confident he is as a pianist.

Troyer and Weigel were not the only ones who sang solos. During the eighth piece “Soon I Will Be Done,” Eliza Smith, senior in music, and Phillip Sears, senior in English, also had solos.

Smith, a soprano, sang with majestic forcefulness. She could easily be an opera singer with her range of vocal tones.

Sears, a bass, was determined to be heard. His voice thundered, echoing throughout each audience member’s chests.

Each singer contributed to the professionalism Iowa State tries to uphold. Women were dressed in black dresses and pearl necklaces, and men were dressed in black tuxedos. When the performers entered and exited the auditorium, each silently followed the person in front of them clutching their folders of music in their left hands. Their voices formed a heavenly trance in each piece performed.

The Iowa State Singers, along with The Music Men, Musica Antiqua and the ISU Orchesis II Dancers, will perform at the 50th annual Madrigal Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 16 and 17 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Tickets go on sale Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. To purchase tickets, call the Memorial Union Ticket office at 294-8349 or go to www.midwestix.com.