A final send off: Carly Dove presents her senior recital

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Photo Courtesy of Greg Cofini

I could not think of a more pleasurable way to spend my Sunday afternoon than seeing a friend exhibit a culmination of four years in dedicated work. I had that very pleasure this past Sunday at Carly Dove’s senior voice recital.

Carly Dove ‘18, a music major with a concentration in performance, presented twelve pieces and an encore, with accompaniment from Vincent Trovato. Every music major with a performance focus is required to create a senior recital as their Cumulative Undergraduate Experience (CUE). It is a remarkable opportunity to showcase how much they have learned and grown as a performer over four years, as well as exhibit personal creativity.

Dove’s repertoire spanned over a variety of genres, beginning with classical pieces including English art songs, German, Italian, and French opera pieces.

“I had a lot of practice with a number of these songs because I recorded some of them as pre-screening videos to send into graduate school programs!” said Dove. “The whole process was a lot of practicing, not only vocal technique, but making sure I was speaking all the foreign languages correctly.”

I was particularly impressed by her French selection of songs, singing composers like Fauré and Debussy. One of her crowning moments was on a song called “Les Filles de Cadix” by Léo Delibes, where her sweet soprano voice flourished on some incredible trills. Her stamina, character, and soul showcased in this song were truly astonishing, prompting rapturous applause that filled the Egner Memorial Chapel.

Later in her recital, Dove shifted genres, focusing on pop and musical theater. She commented, “The repertoire I sang was a collection of songs that I’ve been working on in my voice lessons from freshman year until now, including some songs that are just some of my favorites.”

Some of these songs were Joni Mitchel’s “Case of You,” and “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera. Everyone could tell how much “Case of You” meant to Carly, because she sat a bit closer to the audience and really shared her spirit, as well as a softer side of her voice with us. I very much enjoyed her rendition of “Vanilla Ice Cream” from She Loves Me, a challenging song for sopranos, but a rendition by Carly that was one of the best I’ve ever heard as a resident musical-theater nerd.

I had asked Dove how she personally thought her performance went and she expressed, “I think the performance went so well; I was very proud of how I did, and I had such a fantastic time up there! It was so special to look out and see my family, friends, and teachers who came to support me. I am so blessed to have been able to share my music with people I really care about.”

I cannot agree with her more. I could not help but feel incredibly inspired and moved to see a fellow student achieving such a high honor in conclusion of her time here at Muhlenberg. And on top of that, she looked spectacular in a flowing, teal gown. Everyone should support the senior music recitals because you truly experience some amazing work!

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