The popular Music Celebration Concert will occur in Mershon Auditorium Friday evening, showcasing the hard work of both students and directors from throughout the year.
Commemorating its 23rd year, the Celebration Concert features the best that the School of Music has to offer. The concert is in the “collage” style, in that many different performers and ensembles will showcase various pieces and performances spread throughout the hall. The audience is asked to hold their applause until the intermission and closing, so that they may experience every moment and each surprise the show has to offer. The fluid and fast-paced style of the concert is intended to keep the audience wondering what type of music will surprise them next.
For Adam Othman, a first-year in marketing and a member of the Men’s Glee Club, it is a brand new territory that he is excited to be a part of.
“It’s something completely new to me. Concerts that I have been a part of in the past have been the traditional one song, then applause,” Othman said. “But this concert has different groups playing pieces that will blend together all around the auditorium, and it requires us to quickly move around the room to be ready to play with our next ensemble. It’s going to be very interesting.”
Groups from every department within the School of Music will perform, including the Wind Symphony, the Jazz Ensemble, the Symphonic Band and the Women’s Glee Club.
Joe Chekanoff, president of the Men’s Glee Club and a fourth-year in management and information systems, said he thinks it is a great opportunity to be able to perform with so many groups under the same roof.
“It’s such a great opportunity to see and hear all that the School of Music has to offer,” Chekanoff said. “It’s a showcase of all of our best music that we have prepared throughout the year. And you’ll get to hear groups and pieces that you may not have been able to see in concert before.”
Debunking a myth, Chekanoff clarifies that this is not a show about holiday music. While some ensembles might choose to play holiday pieces as their best work, the idea is to celebrate all forms and styles of music, and the students who perform it.
To close the show, the groups will come together to perform the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” as one large ensemble. It’s a tradition that is held in many concerts of this style, and has been a staple of the Celebration concert for many years. Chekanoff also said that there will be a sneak preview to a concert this coming spring.
“On top of the Hallelujah Chorus, we’ll be doing a piece from Beethoven’s Mass in C, which will be a big feature in our spring show. If you want a bit of foresight into that show, you’ll want to make sure to catch this performance,” he said.
To purchase tickets for the show, visit wexarts.org/tickets. The School of Music’s Events page has more information about the show and the groups performing.
