Four string musicians and a guest conductor will join a university choir this weekend to perform songs with Shakespearean texts as well as a Beethoven piece.
Troy University Concert Chorale will be presenting its spring concert, “A Serenade to Music,” this Sunday, April 3, at the Bush Memorial Baptist Church.
The concert is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. and admission to the concert is free.
Joining the choir will be two violin players, a viola player and a cello player from the Montgomery area.
All four of the musicians will be accompanying “Elegy” by Beethoven, a piece that Concert Chorale Director Diane Orlofsky said was the basis for the concert.
“I knew I wanted to do that one and that I had to pair it with something like it,” Orlofsky said. “When you’re building a program you start with a gem and go from there.”
The concert will feature a guest conductor as well. James Seay, conductor of the Montgomery Chorale, will conduct “Rest” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Also guest conducting at the concert will be music major Kayla Boston.
Orlofsky said that having experience with multiple conductors is important for young musicians.
“I think it’s a great educational experience,” Orlofsky said. “They may say the same thing in just a slightly different way… but because it’s been presented in a different way, a student identifies with it better.”
The choir is composed of 37 students, 12 of which will be featured as soloists in the song “A Serenade to Music,” which includes text from “The Merchant of Venice” William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s words will also be featured in the song “Songs and Sonnets” by George Shearing.
This song will be accompanied by a pianist and a bassist.
Orlofsky said that the music highlights the emotions behind Shakespeare’s words.
“This concert is the 400th anniversary of his death,” Orlofsky said. “The text is whimsical, it explores love and loss… the Shakespeare takes us to a new depth.”
Orlofsky said that watching the seniors grow and develop over the last few years has been one of her favorite parts of directing the choir.
For six students, this will be their last Troy University Concert Chorale presentation.
“Watching the progress of the group and watching them come together as 37 unique voices… it’s really wonderful,” Orlofsky said. “This is an organization where there’s support and camaraderie… it’s really quite lovely to be able to recognize hard work.
“It’s got some songs that will touch your heart and some that will make you laugh,” Orlofsky said. “And it’s always good to bring in and hear new guests.”
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