After an absence of almost two years, Vox Feminae (“voice of woman”), an all-female a cappella vocal group from Grinnell returned to The Mayflower Community to perform a holiday concert for a crowd of more than 60 residents.
The members, all vaccinated and wearing masks, sang more than 13 songs, ranging from carols such as Angels We Have Heard On High to lesser-known songs. One of the latter was an original arrangement by Mark Laver, Assistant Professor of Music at Grinnell College. Mark is the spouse of one of the Vox Feminae singers, soprano Erin Bustin.
Other vocalists included Jennifer Williams Brown, soprano; Georgeanna Robinson, soprano; Elizabeth Prevost, soprano; Alicia Stanley, soprano/alto; Liz Rodrigues, alto; Carolyn Jacobson, alto; and Kelly Maynard, alto.
Founded in the spring of 2018, the group performs a wide repertoire of styles from Renaissance madrigals to show tunes. The goal of the ensemble is to join together each week in song and sisterhood, and to share the love of music with the greater Grinnell community. So far, they have been featured performers at Grinnell College, HaPIZZAness night, the Girls World Expo in Des Moines, the Fortnightly Club, the Stew Arts Studios, the Grinnell United Church of Christ, and The Mayflower Community.
The performance included the following numbers: One Voice, Ruth Moody; Lift Thine Eyes, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy; Still, Still, Still, German carol, arr. Mark Laver; Joy to the World, attrib. to G.F. Handel, words by Isaac Watts; In the Bleak Midwinter, Gustav Holst, words by Christina Rossetti; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Felix Mendelssohn, words by Charles Wesley; It Came upon the Midnight Clear, Richard S. Willis, words by Rev. Edmund H. Sears; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, English Carol; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, Thirteenth-century Plain Song; Angels We Have Heard on High, French-English Carol; Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, Michael Praetorius; We Wish You a Merry Christmas, English Carol; Thirty Second Fa La La, Donald Moore.
The event was hosted by Mayflower’s Community Life and Wellness department. Leslie Jaworski, Director, shared, “Their ‘One Voice’ (opening song and the mission of the group) was welcome music to our ears. Thank you to Vox Feminae for making the season a bit brighter this year!”
— Bob Mann, Mayflower Sales & Marketing Director (641-236-6151)