Members of the campus community gathered to hear the music of spring as it swelled through Leffler Chapel and Performance Center for the 2017 Spring Choral and Jazz Band Concert, Sunday, May 7.
Elizabethtown College’s Fine and Performing Arts Department hosted the event, which featured performances by the College Jazz Band, the College-Community Chorus, Concert Choir and two chamber groups Camerata and Fenice. The songs, performed by each group, had a joyous nature, which was a distinct choice made by the band and choir directors.
Elizabethtown College is proud to organize several musical ensembles and give them a stage on which to share their talents. This Spring Concert marks the final musical performance for many of these gifted students, as graduation is fast approaching. Senior theatre major Kierra Swisher reminisced on her rewarding experience performing for the College.
“I enjoy the choir professors and how close we get as a choir,” said Swisher, who has been in six choir performances including the Spring Concert. Swisher performed with Fenice, which was conducted by Dr. Anne Gross.
It is always important to … get more people to believe in the arts.”
Swisher mentioned that the theme that Fenice’s portrayed with their song selection was strong and independent women. Each semester the directors of each musical group choose the lineup of songs to be performed based on a subject, be it the season or something as topical as female empowerment.
A highlight of the afternoon occurred when Matthew Fritz, conductor of the College-Community Chorus and Concert Choir, spoke candidly about the importance of music education in American schools. Fritz expressed his concerns about music education being taken out of school systems.
His speech came just before 64 members of the College-Community Chorus and Concert Choirs and eight accompanists took the stage to perform Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi. Gloria was a piece composed in the 1700s for an orphanage of girls, which took pride in teaching musical education.
“It is always important to try and reach out to new people and try and get more people to believe in the arts,” Swisher remarked.
As the 2016-2017 semester comes to a close, the Spring Concert reminded attendees of the incredible talent that music education provides our campus.
~ Guest writer Kerry Anne Serody is a graduate of the class of 2017. During her time at Elizabethtown College, she pursued a double major in Professional Writing and Business Administration. She is currently seeking a future in marketing. In her spare time, she can be found listening to spoken word poetry and baking apple pies.