Schola Cantorum Recognized for 'Ingenuity and Innovation' by National Organization

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Schola Cantorum in the Arboretum, recording 2020: Alone Together.

The National Collegiate Choral Organization has selected "2020: Alone Together" by the University of Arkansas Schola Cantorum for inclusion in its ninth biennial national conference, recognizing the video performance for its "ingenuity and innovation" and as one of the country's "most creative, impactful and musical choral performance videos created during the pandemic."

"2020: Alone Together" was a project from the fall 2020 semester. The Schola Cantorum met virtually to discuss compositional ideas, and submitted improvised audio and video recordings that were subsequently stitched together to create an emotional portrait of their lived experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The single was released in November of 2020, and has been viewed thousands of times across multiple platforms. 

Stephen Caldwell, director of the Schola Cantorum and associate professor of music, commented that "it is very special to be nationally recognized for that video. The students were so open and honest about what they were feeling at the time."

Graduate student Tori Rudolph, a soprano in the Schola Cantorum, said "that time was all a blur, and we all felt so disconnected from everything. Despite the overwhelming challenges, we were able to make something so beautiful it ended up being such a highlight for us all in such a tumultuous time." 

The video will be played at the professional organization's national conference this coming January at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, along with a presentation detailing how it was designed and composed. 

Founded in 1957, the Schola Cantorum rose to prominence after becoming the first American choir to win the D'Arezzo Prize in Italy. They have been singing to worldwide acclaim ever since.