Renaissance and Chapter 6 rock Memorial Union

By Diana McElwain

Posted on Monday, April 14th, 2003, 12:00 am

Jonathan White

A capella group Chapter 6 sings sweet tunes to a crowd at Memorial Union.

Chris Barter

Renaissance, UMaine's female a cappella group, performs at a concert last fall. The female group performed alongside Chapter 6 at Memorial Union Thursday night.

Thursday night’s Maine Event in Memorial Union brought together two music groups with harmonious results. Renaissance, the University of Maine’s female a cappella group, opened for Chapter 6, a professional male a cappella group from Chicago.

The group of six men promised to perform a little bit of everything, which they certainly did. While they had a gospel focus, the group also sang everything from “Pick Up the Pieces” by the Average White Band to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The small turnout did not phase the enthusiasm of the men. Many of the numbers featured exuberant, although sometimes foolish, choreography.

Chapter 6 explained that it tries to send a message of faith with its music. This has been met with disdain at former performances. In one instance, the band considered changing the words to one of its religious songs, “They Praised God.” The band treated the audience with the original, as well as the revised version, titled “I Raised Cod,” leaving the crowd in stitches.

Renaissance members were grateful for the opportunity to perform, as the group is preparing for its first solo concert, which will take place April 24 in Donald P. Corbett Business Building at 7:30 p.m.

Anne Schmidt said the more time they spend on stage, the better their sound will become.

“It’s always good to perform, especially in front of a new audience,” Schmidt said.

Renaissance’s performance Thursday was requested by the Campus Activities Board. Schmidt said the group has been more in demand this year than the previous four years it has existed due to how the sound of the group has evolved.

“Before, we sounded like the typical girl a cappella group, now we’re so much more. There are more parts and a fuller sound. This appeals to a larger audience,” Schmidt said.

Caitlin Whalen agreed that the new sound has allowed them to entertain many different people, from elementary students to adults.

“We have such an array of music that it opens the door to new audiences,” Whalen said.

Thursday’s audience reacted to Renaissance with enthusiasm. The group featured strong lead and backup vocals and projected a tight and perfected sound. It was evident that dynamics within this group are very equal, as the women took turns with everything from the lead to vocal percussion parts. All Renaissance members also have the opportunity to arrange pieces for performance.

Renaissance has also just released a demo CD that is available for $5. They have produced the CD in the hopes that it will lead to a complete album.

“We have two main goals for next year: to compete in the national a cappella competition and to have enough money for our own CD,” Whalen said.

Currently, the women are investing most of their energy into their solo concert in April. As they typically perform at concerts for the Maine Steiners, Renaissance is thrilled to be breaking out on its own. The women also have their sights set on the future.

“We want to see Renaissance get as big as it can. We know we have it in us,” Whalen said.