The Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) is celebrating the release of two albums showcasing the Syracuse University Singers and faculty.

“Sing Me Awake: A Celebration of Contemporary Music” features the Syracuse University Singers, conducted by John Warren, professor and director of the Setnor School of Music. VPA alumni and faculty contributed new a cappella choral music for the project.

The University Singers began gathering contemporary music in 2022 when the ensemble was invited to present the featured closing concert of the Society of Composers, Inc., Region 2 Conference, hosted by the Setnor School of Music in Crouse College.

The program debuted all new music, including three works by guest composer and alumnus Nilo Alcala G’09.

“The concert was in November and went very well, so at the end of the semester we recorded the music during the last couple of days of classes,” says Warren.

Two additional songs were added during the spring semester, including the album’s namesake, “Sing Me Awake,” by Dylan Kim ’24, then a student composer in the choir. Natalie Draper, associate professor of composition in the Setnor School of Music, also contributed a piece, “I Have a Bird in Spring.”

While celebrating the release of the album, the University Singers are also looking toward the future. This February, they will hold a concert bringing the 40-part voice piece “Spem in Alium” to life with the Southern Tier Singers’ Collective and the Binghamton University Chamber Singers.

The Setnor School of Music also commemorates the release of an album from two faculty members, composer Draper and organist Anne Laver, associate professor of applied music and performance (organ).

The culmination of a six-year artistic partnership, “Interlaced: Music for Organ, et al.” presents eight contemporary works that place the organ in conversation with violin, trombone, solo voices, choir and three distinctive pipe organs.

The project began in 2019 when Laver asked new VPA faculty member Draper to write her first work for organ. Draper’s use of the organ impressed Laver.

“What surprised me most was how quickly Natalie adapted to the organ and made it an extension of her compositional voice,” says Laver. “The organ can be a daunting instrument to write for, but Natalie embraced the challenge.”

As the music took shape, the pair drew on the University community. The album features Setnor faculty William Knuth, violin, and Ashley Vance G’26, soprano, Department of Drama instructor Katherine Weber G’24, mezzo-soprano, as well as the Hendricks Chapel Choir under the direction of Jose “Peppie” Calvar. Setnor alumna Katerina Skafidas ’20, soprano, also contributed.

The album’s use of the academic phrase et al. (“and others”) is a nod toward the collaborative spirit it embodies.

The organ itself becomes a collaborator through the work of Draper. In the title work, “Interlaced,” violin and organ intertwine to create what she describes as a “super-instrument.”

“The organ is so often a solo instrument—it felt liberating to open it up to chamber possibilities,” says Draper. “In many ways, this album is a celebration of the collaborative spirit on every level.”

That vision was made possible with support from organizations including the New York State Council on the Arts, CNY Arts, Sonoma Bach and several chapters of the American Guild of Organists, whose support helped transform an initial commission into a multi-year creative endeavor.

All are welcome to celebrate the album’s release at a concert on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. in Setnor Auditorium.