As part of their European tour this summer, the College of Southern Maryland's Chamber Choir performed at St. Erhard's Roman Catholic Church in Salzburg, Austria. Photo courtesy CSM.
LA PLATA, Md. - For College of Southern Maryland (CSM) graduate Stefanie Carey, touring Germany and Austria as part of a two-week European tour by the college's chamber choir this summer provided a duet experience. As an alto, Carey crossed Europe with the choir, performing in cathedrals and outdoor pavilions to the delight of their audiences.
"Their feedback was tremendous, just clapping and clapping for encores," said the 23-year-old Carey. "The appreciation for music is different in Europe. Mayors would come out and give us proclamations. They are so appreciative."
"I've sang all my life and been in a chorus since I was 8"But as a history major, Carey found herself in awe as her studies came to life. "I've sang all my life and been in a chorus since I was 8," Carey said. "But being a history major made the trip double-amazing. I was in complete awe the whole time. Everything I learned in my classes was suddenly coming to life-the castles, the palaces. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
But the experience may not have been possible for students without the matching financial support provided by the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Foundation and the CSM Foundation who together provided $20,000 to help defray costs of the tour.
"...they have such a close relationship with our sister city, Walldorf, Germany, and in fact, that was one of the many stops on this tour.""The opportunity to perform in Europe and experience the discipline of a daily concert tour schedule was invaluable for our choir students, but the challenge was how to make the tour possible," said CSM Choral Director and Fine Arts Department Chair John Maerhofer. "The Greater Waldorf Jaycees Foundation was delighted to be able to support this effort, particularly since they have such a close relationship with our sister city, Walldorf, Germany, and in fact, that was one of the many stops on this tour. With the matching funds from the CSM Foundation and additional financial support by other members of the community, the tour became a reality for our students and an excellent true-to-life experience."
"For those who are uncertain about attending CSM, it has a lot to offer. It's given me the time of my life-I got the chance to go to Europe."Carey, who is finishing her second semester at the University of Maryland pursuing a bachelor's degree in history believes in CSM. "For those who are uncertain about attending CSM, it has a lot to offer," she said. "It's given me the time of my life-I got the chance to go to Europe."
Under the direction of John W. Maerhofer, the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will be traveling throughout Maryland for their annual winter and spring tours. The tours also recognize the choir's 10-year anniversary.
The choir's current musical CD, Musical Journeys, was released March 2006. You can purchase a CD by calling the CSM box office at 301-934-7828 or email bxoff (at) csmd.edu for more information. CDs are priced at $15. You can download MP3s of select tracks for a limited time from this page.
For information about CSM and its fine arts programs, call 301-934-7861 or 301-870-3008, Ext. 7861 for Charles County; 240-725-5499, Ext. 7861 for St. Mary's County or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7861 for Calvert County. You can also visit them on the web at http://www.csmd.edu/FineArts/.