By Ashlyn Armock, Arts Editor
Aquinas’ college band performing their first piece, titled Khan – Photo by Ashlyn Armock
Recently within the music department there have been two concerts: one from the college band which took place on Nov. 16 and another from the choirs a week later on Nov. 23.
The college band’s concert, which was performed at Kretschmer Recital Hall, was titled “Take Me to the Show” and featured theatrical sounding or movie-esque music.
The performance featured pieces such as Khan by Julie Giroux and Lincoln by John Williams. Lincoln is the title piece from the motion picture “Lincoln” and the only piece that the band performed that was from a film.
The second half of the band concert included pieces such as Malaguena by Ernesto Lecouna as well as Of Sailors and Whales by Francis McBeth. Of Sailors and Whales included all movements: I. Ishmael, II. Queequeg, III. Father Mapple, IV. Ahab and V. The White Whale.
“Malagueña was really fun,” Aiden Tellez said. “Definitely my favorite song we played for this concert.”
The college band getting ready at the beginning of the concert – Photo by Ashlyn Armock
Tellez continued explaining how he thought it was their most successful concert of the year. “We really clicked as an ensemble and everyone came prepared,” said Tellez. “We played some really tough songs and I’m very proud of everyone for their hard work including Doc Tom who saved us during the last movement of sailors and whales where he started cueing in sections to bring us back together.”
The choral concert took place at Mayflower Congregational Church and featured all of the choir ensembles at Aquinas: college chorus, chamber singers, aquinas vocal ensemble and the barbershop quartet.
The concert opened with the college chorus singing Aquinas’ Alma Mater and The Star Spangled Banner, something that has not been done in years. The group then sang another piece called Do Not Be Afraid by Philip Stopford and included a soprano soloist, junior Mary Kampe.
After a short transition, the Aquinas Vocal Ensemble or AVE gathered to perform two barbershop pieces: Tell Me Why arranged by Phil Embury and Bye Bye Blues arranged by Val Hicks.
Then another smaller barbershop group, comically named three and a half men because of their three men and one woman makeup, broke out to sing a piece called Hello, Mary Lou by Gene Pitney. The group consisted of students Henry Vredevelt, Xavier Memijie, Amelia Huysentruyt and Gracen Spiteri.
The Aquinas Vocal Ensemble grouped back together to finish out with one more jazz piece called How Sweet It Is by Holland and Shaw.
The Aquinas Vocal Ensemble performing How Sweet It Is – Photo by Madyson Armock
The next group to perform was Aquinas’ chamber singers. The first song they sang was a polyphonic piece called If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis and the second piece was Tantum Ergo by Alexander Grechanoninov.
After the chamber singers finished their pieces, the rest of the college chorus was invited back into the front of the church to finish off the concert. The college chorus performed the entirety of Missa Brevis Joannis de Deo by Joseph Hayden. This included the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus with junior soprano soloist Amelia Huysentruyt and the Agnus Dei.
The concert concluded with the college chorus performing a piece titled Magnificat by Aquinas’ choir director Kelly Ford.
Something to note would be that every choir had all of their music memorized.
“I liked having the pieces memorized,” freshman Becca MacKenzie said. “I think having the pieces memorized made it so that we could be more present in the moment instead of focused on the music.”
Future dates for an array of concerts from the music department can be found in the link below:
The Saint 