Wednesday evening, Mozart’s music filled the Spruce Street United Methodist church, as voices of the Vox Principalis Choral Association blended together in rehearsal for their upcoming concert.
“It is an absolute pleasure and privilege to have Vox Principalis here at the church,” said Pastor Neil Leftwich, of the Spruce Street United Methodist Church. He said between the monthly guest musicians concert series sponsored by the choral group and the rehearsals, he gets to listen to some of the “best live music ever.”
“Our mission from the very beginning has been to enrich the Morgantown community with these large works performed at a high standard,” said Bronnie “Cal” Stroud, of the semi-professional local choir Vox Principalis Choral Association.
A member of the group since its inception in fall 2017, Stroud has participated in major works such as Bach’s Cantata for the Feast of Reformations, Coronations Anthems by Handel, as well as Renaissance music, and 20th and 21st century composers.
Vox Prinicipalis, meets Wednesday evenings at the Spruce Street United Methodist Church to prepare for its upcoming performance at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at Wesley United Methodist Church on North High Street. The mixed group of 24 members will perform a Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart concert of Regina Coeli, Ave Verum Corpus and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore. General admission is $10, and student tickets are $5, and the concert will be followed by a chocolate and cheese reception.
The group’s regular pianist, Marguerite Costonia, as well as the Vox Principalis instrumental ensemble — a 20-piece orchestra — will accompany the choral performance.
The choir, incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit, pays its musicians from donations and from ticket sales of performances at various venues and monthly guest musicians concert series, performed at the Spruce Street United Methodist Church.
Bostonia, playing piano and organ since she was a youth, has experience in “all kinds of playing, for all kinds of work,” she said. She added that she finds accompanying Vox Principalis on famous musical works especially rewarding.
“I’m finished accompanying, except for this,” Bostonia said. “I like that we focus on authenticity.”
The group’s founder and director, Letícia Grützmann, said, “I’m really inspired to do major works … I’m sure people in this choir are here because of the works I pick.”
Members Bill Stewart and Katie Luckini sought to join Vox Principalis because they wanted to sing classical music at a professional level.
After Stewart retired to Morgantown from Washington, D.C., he used to commute back to the metropolitan area to sing such music, until he auditioned for and was accepted to Vox Principalis. “This is a wonderful group to sing with,” he said. “I’m getting to sing the kind of things I enjoy most.”
Luckini used to drive to Pittsburgh for a similar experience.
Each member of the choir must audition or be invited by Grützmann, to maintain the quality of the group as a whole.
Grützmann said her passion for choral music, and pursuit of a career as choral conductor led her to found Vox Principalis. Before moving to Morgantown to obtain her doctorate of musical arts from WVU, Grützmann led several choirs and worked professionally in the music field.
She said her biggest dream has been to conduct a professional choir. “We are all volunteers at this time,” Grützmann said, but added they work with high expectations, which makes this group special to her.
Luckini said, “we are trying to make big professional works available to the Morgantown public.”
