By Thomas Horn, Guest Writer
The Pacific Lutheran University choir students demonstrated a well-balanced sound during the Fall Choral Concert. The concert included the Choir of the West, Chorale and the University Singer and took place Oct. 22-23 in Lagerquist Concert Hall. There was not an empty seat to be found throughout the entire hall.
The choirs performed under the direction of Nathan Frank, a visiting music instructor, and Brian Galante, an associate director of choral studies. Frank conducted both the University Singers and Chorale, while Galante conducted the Choir of the West.
The Chorale performed first, and it had five songs that featured multiple soloists. The soloists varied in different dynamic levels, but the rest of the group accompanied all of them.
The audience could hear every little detail in Lagerquist.
“On the stage, you can’t hear the same clarity when you’re performing,” first-year Elliot Turner, who plays the guitar in the jazz band, said. “When I’m in the audience, I can hear everything so clearly,”
All of the soloists had voices that were able to cut through the accompaniment of the group and be heard by the audience.
First-year Michael Greer had a solo during the song “MLK,” which he said he thought went really well. “My music teacher always says as long as your happy with your performance, there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Greer said.
The University Singers, an all-female choir, performed next. The group sang three songs and used percussion instruments, unlike the other groups.
Following the University Singers, the Choir of the West, a co-ed group and top choir at PLU, came on stage to perform.
They sang five songs with especially loud bass notes. The last song the group performed featured Paul Tegels, university organist and an associate professor of music, on the organ. The organ added a classical effect to the overall song — it filled the entire hall with sound.
All three choirs performed the final song of the night, “Beautiful Savior,” together. The choirs invited the PLU alumni in the audience to participate as well. As the last note faded away, they received a standing ovation.
“It was really astounding. It was great to see how many alumni there was,” first-year Kyle Sturmer, a bass singer in Chorale, said. “I can tell that they still have a passion for music and that’s so cool to see.”
The next choir concert is the Choral Series, Choral Union, will be Nov. 16.
