On Saturday, Mar. 6, the University Singers, Canta Bella, and the Pioneer Men’s Chorus performed their “Chasing Away the Blues” concert in the Howard Performing Arts Center (HPAC). Professor Stephen Zork, as well as several students, conducted the concert. Andrews University employees, the Enjoyment of Music class, music majors, music minors, and Andrews University students were allowed to attend in person with a limited seating capacity. Those who attended in person were required to wear masks and social distance. Others were able to watch the concert through live stream on the Department of Music’s Facebook page.
The concert began with Canta Bella’s performance of “Alway Something Sings” by Dan Forrest. Kristii Rasmussen (graduate student, orchestral conducting) conducted this first piece, and it featured a solo by soprano Anneliese Burghardt (senior, psychology, music). Then, they sang “Music in My Mother’s House,” composed by Stuart Stotts and arranged by J. David Moore. The following performance of “In This Sweet Summertime,” arranged by Kim André Arnesen, was conducted by Beta Siriwattanakamol (senior, music education) and featured a solo by soprano Carly Weems (freshman, animal science). Canta Bella performed “A Girl’s Garden,” by Randall Thompson, from “Frostiana” next, which was conducted by Vivian Raimundo (graduate, music education).
Ms. Rasmussen commented, “It was an honor and a privilege to conduct the ladies in their beautiful song! There is something so fulfilling about using our God-given talents to prepare a piece of music to share with an audience. Through all of the hard work, we can keep our eyes fixed on the moment we will finally perform to bless all who listen.” Ms. Weems said, “Preparing for this concert was lots of fun! Although the rehearsals were strenuous, the resulting concert was well worth all the effort we put in! I loved all the songs and the variety of pieces that were performed, specifically ‘A Girl's Garden,’ and singing ‘Shed A Little Light.’ This has definitely been one of my favorite concerts yet!”
Pioneer Men’s Chorus started off their section of the concert with “The Pasture,” by Randall Thompson, from “Frostiana” and conducted by Emily Jurek. Following this piece, they performed a sea shanty titled “Blow Ye Winds,” arranged by Celius Dougherty. Also conducted by Emily Jurek, the Pioneer Men’s Chorus performed “A Civil War Medley,” by George Root and arranged by Michael B. Richardson, featuring baritone Raleigh Pettey (freshman, music performance).
Carlos Lugo (freshman, music performance), a student who watched the concert on Facebook, said, “I enjoyed the concert. One of my favorite pieces was ‘The Pasture’ from ‘Frostiana’ by Randall Thompson. What a marvelous piece! It was so thoughtful and beautiful.”
Finally, the University Singers performed a version of “Now Is the Start of Winter,” composed by Thomas Marley and words by Garrison Keillor. For this piece, the words were changed to “Now Is the Start of March” to match our current time of year. Next, they sang “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” by John Rutter. Additionally, five movements from “Liebeslieder Walzer Opus 52,” by Johannes Brahms were performed, including “O die Frauen,” “Wie des Abends schöne Röte,” “Ein kleiner, hübscher Vogel,” “Wohl schön bewandt war es vorehe,” and “Am Donaustrande.” Mezzo-soprano Ms. Siriwattanakamol was a soloist for the seventh movement. The University Singers also performed “Shed a Little Light,” by James Taylor and arranged by Greg Jasperse, and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” by John Rutter. “Shed a Little Light” featured tenor soloist Mr. Andrew Fisher (graduate student, vocal performance). Clarinet player Jason Marquez (sophomore, music performance) and trombonist and trombone instructor Alan Mitchell accompanied the performance of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Overall, the concert featured many talented students and was enjoyed by those who listened. To view it, visit the Department of Music Facebook page. The Department of Music has several more concerts planned, as well as student recitals, so be sure to check them out.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.