Orchestra Director Mark Lane Swanson commented, "The music program here is so strong as many members are very dedicated. The singers and musicians are so close that they become family, often eating together at Valentine or practicing in Buckley late into the night." The performance was a genuine testament to the ardor that Swanson described.
With a repertoire ranging from the Baroque era to more modern 20th-century compositions, the orchestra consists of approximately 60 students, which is actually a source of pride for the College, as it is one of the few liberal arts colleges with an orchestra consisting solely of students. At the showcase, the orchestra performed the fourth movement of Dvorak. The show was both professional and tremendous as all the students' hard work came to life. The flute sectional was especially charming.
The jazz ensemble followed with their knockout combination of piano, saxophones, trombones, bass guitars, trumpets and electric guitars. Directed by Bruce Diehl, the jazz ensemble performed "Everyday I Have The Blues," featuring Andrew Moin '05. Singing solo, Moin's voice was both sultry and smooth. Other standout performances included Alex Rodriguex '07 on the trombone and Michael Kohl '06 on the electric guitar.
The woman's chorus, which has an extremely wide repetoire ranging from madrigals to classical to soul, came on next. Led by Director Mallorie Chernin, Assistant Director Dan Leistra '03 and President Caroline Stevenson '06, the group performed the lovely French Canadian piece "Ah! si mon moine voulait danser," arranged by Donald Patriquin. The triumphant look on Liestra's face, combined with the response of the audience, attested to the success of the song.
The glee club, directed by Chernin and President Ben Softness '06, showed their dedication to music as their mature, strong voices came on stage. Their difficult repertoire includes everything from classical pieces to spiritual songs. The chilling bass in their showcase song "Soon I Will Be Done With the Troubles of the World" left the audience spellbound.
The concert choir rounded out the choral society performances with the voices of the most talented men and women that Amherst has to offer. Their song "Ove Las Il Belviso" was able to capture the gorgeous melodious sounds of the members.
The evening ended with the Madrigals, which includes 10 students from the woman's chorus, glee club and concert choir who are particularly well-versed in the art of singing. For the showcase the group performed the gorgeous Italian madrigal "Io Mi Son," which painted a beautiful pastoral love scene.
The showcase was a wonderful testament to the performers' enormous talent and also offered a sneak peak into many of their spring concerts. Make sure to keep an eye out for upcoming dates!