Choirs combine forces, voices in 'Howl-O-ween Harmonies'

The sounds of “Howl-O-ween” will fill the University of New Mexico’s Keller Hall on Thursday, Oct. 30, thanks to the voices of Dolce Suono, Las Cantantes and the UNM Children’s Chorus.

“I would say it’s autumnal, fall music,” Julianna LoBiondo, conductor for the older Children’s Chorus and Las Cantantes, said about the “Howl-O-ween Harmonies” concert. “There’s some ‘Ghostbusters.’ There’s some generic fall music.”

“That’s kind of the idea is just autumnal with a touch of Halloween,” LoBiondo said.

The first show will feature the younger Children’s Chorus alongside Dolce Suono and Las Cantantes, with the older Children’s Chorus performing in the second show, according to LoBiondo.

There will be an hour-long break between the two concerts, featuring a Halloween carnival for kids, students and families to attend, LoBiondo said.

The carnival aims to give “voice to some of the college student organizations that may want to reach out to these families,” LoBiondo said.

This is the first year for “Howl-O-ween Harmonies” and LoBiondo said it felt like a good bridge between the kids’ and college students’ choirs.

The college students have the opportunity to work with the Children’s Choir, LoBiondo said.

The event tries “to bridge the community a little bit more and do something that serves the families as well.”

She said the goal was to instill a love of music in kids.

“Getting to see those big kids, adults singing and doing that with them, hopefully sparks something that also tells them they can do this years from now,” LoBiondo said.

LoBiondo said when she first began rehearsals with the Children’s Chorus, she was worried the kids would not know some of the music, like the “Ghostbusters” theme, but she was proven wrong.

“They were so excited and automatically knew the chant before I even taught them. So they’re excited about their music…,” LoBiondo said. “They’ve been very, very excited, and I can tell that they’re just excited to share their music with their parents.”