Choral Transcendence

Time traveling to the Renaissance without leaving the confines of Sioux Falls, S.D.? It’s no easy feat, unless you have the connection to the joy and transporting nature of music that a group like Transept does. 

Originally conceived in 2016 as an outlet for area musicians lacking one for high-level vocal performance, Transept has blossomed into a hallmark of the choral music scene in Sioux Falls and beyond—thanks in large part to founder and artistic director Timothy J. Campbell.

“We combine some of the best singers in the country with a lot of local talent,” he said, “and the concerts interweave vocal music spanning a thousand years—everything from Gregorian chant to works that were composed in the last few years.”

Transept is currently in the midst of its second full season, which includes four projects, as well as education and outreach activities to spread the love of choral music beyond the confines of the group itself.

The organization describes itself as a “vocal ensemble of elite, professional consort singers and select local musicians” that is “inspired by the architecture of beauty, interweaving music for vocal consort, soloists and choir to draw audiences into an intimate, meaningful journey.”

Submitted Photo

And that dedication rings true for many of the performances Transept has presented in recent years, from its inaugural “O Morning Star” in 2016, to its most recent “Echoes of Plainchant” and “How Can I Recognize My Home?” this past fall and winter, respectively.

The response has been one of both surprise and gratification. “I’ve heard a lot about the cohesiveness and level of the ensemble,” Campbell said. “I get a lot of responses about the programming—the interconnected nature of the text and the music, as well as the flow of the program.”

The group’s audience would indicate a groundswell of support, as well, growing from as many as 50 in early performances to as many as 250 for more recent outings. “Both budgetarily and structurally, it’s blossoming, which is really exciting,” Campbell said.

The roster of artists who have performed with Transept has seen similar growth over its first few years of existence, building from an all-volunteer choir of 20 local musicians and University of South Dakota students to its current state, where out-of-state singers are flown in for a week of concentrated rehearsals, performances and recordings alongside local talent.

“These types of experiences—larger choirs of 30 to 40 and smaller chamber groups of 10 to 12—have been some of the most meaningful artistic experiences of my life,” Campbell said. “So I wanted to bring that to Sioux Falls.”

This love of music wasn’t something Campbell came by instantaneously, either. He’s the first to admit he was kicked out of choir as a third-grader at Horace Mann Elementary and joined choir his senior year of high school as a joke.

“The joke was on me—I couldn’t read a note, but I fell in love with it.”

After pursuing his doctorate and master’s degrees in choral conducting, Campbell hasn’t looked back since first catching the bug.

“It has been a great labor of love, with plenty of labor, but a lot more love,” he said. “It’s been immensely rewarding, both professionally and as an educator, to see some of my students now singing professionally. Seeing the friendships and connections develop amongst the singers and with the community.”

The realization of Transept is something he credits immensely to his wife, Natalie, a professional soprano and music educator who helped to cofound the group and continues to handle administrative and logistical goings-on for the organization. “Without her, I don’t know that Transept exists,” Campbell said.

The future goals of Transept are something its artistic director sees as a driving force in the next steps of the performing arts group.  “A place for everyone to sing” is a phrase he rests these goals upon, with a vision of inviting collegiate performers to participate in Transept and assembling a larger community choir one day.

“I see it as a vocal organization that has many branches,” Campbell said. “A place where everyone can come in and sing, whether it’s your first time or you’ve been doing it professionally for a long time.

“We want a place where everyone can connect. At its core, connection is the antidote to isolation. And singing is a beautiful way to provide that connection.”

Hear audio and video of Transept and stay updated on forthcoming projects at transept.org.