The Chamber Singers and the Symphony Orchestra came together for a Friday night performance at Citrus College’s Haugh Performing Arts Center.
The Chamber Singers had been preparing for this event since the beginning of September, according to music business major Gabrielle Carbajal, who has been involved with the group for two years. She said the Symphony Orchestra wanted to play Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Mass in Time of War,” so members asked the Chamber Singers to sing with them.
“A mass is a type of composition. It has several parts that make it a mass. This one has a choral part,” said sophomore liberal studies major Lauren Easter, one of the Chamber Singers.
Singing with a symphony is not the norm for the Chamber Singers, who usually sing a cappella, Easter said.
“It was different than what we’ve done so far this year and we loved it,” Easter said. “I think it’s fun to work with different parts of the school’s music program and really come together and make something beautiful.”
Carbajal said it was extremely beneficial for vocalists and instrumentalists to learn to sing and play together.
“From an educational standpoint, it’s enriching,” Carbajal said. “I felt that the program was long but still enjoyable.”
Carbajal said she loves Chamber Singers because it provides an opportunity to make music twice a week with fellow musicians.
“And singing under the direction of Michelle Jensen is truly a blessing,” Carbajal said. “The camaraderie found in this group is irreplaceable.”
“Mass in Time of War” includes six different movements: “Kyrie,” “Gloria,” “Credo,” “Sanctus,” “Benedictus” and “Agnus Dei.”
Music business major Audra McLean was in the audience and said her favorite part of the show was the “Between The Spaces in the Sky” piece.
“I liked all the interesting use of the instruments, how the basses used mallets and the violins used the backs of their bows,” McLean said. “Being able to hear classical masses like this was a really great experience for the school to offer. I’m sure it was a great experience for the orchestra and choir to learn.”
Russell gave brief explanations and musical context of each piece before it was performed. McLean said she was impressed with Russell and his explanation of the music.
“It was great to have some context for the music before listening; it really added to the listening experience,” McLean said. “It was really great to hear these two fantastic groups perform together.”
Senior commercial music major Kristi Chiou has played the piano for the Symphony Orchestra for two years now. According to Chiou, the Symphony Orchestra meets three times a week.
“Symphony Orchestra is really interesting because there’s a plethora of personalities that you would never think would work well together,” Chiou said.
Chiou believes that it was an amazing idea to combine the Chamber Singers and Orchestra.
“The chamber singers are a phenomenal group, and it’s always rewarding for different groups in the music department to work together,” Chiou said.
Easter felt that the directors and the performers were pleased with the final product after so many months of work. The event took place at Citrus, which has a much bigger concert hall than APU. More than 150 people came to watch the performance, Easter said.
“Our director was really happy with all the work we put in and the progress that we made, and I think we did a really good job collaborating with they symphony and making music together,” Easter said.
Chamber Singers perform three times a year in Munson Chapel. Their next concert is a poetry themed concert in Jan. 2014.