It was 8 PM, earlier tonight, on this perfect Saturday evening and well, I had NO idea what I was getting myself into. I wasn't able to see the whole "Gloria" by Vivaldi that the 49er Chorus performed, so I snuck in quietly- like a spy in a covert ops mission- in the middle of it and slipped into a seat in the audience. It was quite powerful and beautiful, conveying the gloriousness of God and his majesty with the latin mass, which I always enjoy hearing how different composers interpret the holy text. Beautifully done; then it was intermission.
People socialized, laughed, shared their praise with the singers, ate cookies and drank coffee, and were celebratory in the great bond that music forms between us all. The lights flashed, and that signaled back to the seats to start the second half.
The Women's Chorus kicked off the second half with an energetic, traditional Bulgarian piece entitled Ergen Dedo. This had close harmonies, and a fast tempo, which grabbed the audiences collars and pulled them to attention. :D Steven Berlanga, a talented undergraduate here at CSULB, directed them wonderfully and I enjoyed watching his sharp, yet subtle conducting style. It was really nice.
I must say though, that the performance that stole the show was the Men's Chorus. What a treat, they brought the house down and did it with a great arrangement of John William's film scores, complete with 'choralography' and 'Wookie Screams'. ;D It was amazing (I am sorely regretting not joining the Men's Choir at the beginning of the year, ughhhhh.
Now you know where the beginning of this blog post comes from though; it was that arrangement that has been stuck in my head for the last few hours. :) I will probably go to sleep singing it in my mind, and might even wake up with it.
But that's the greatness of music: it has the power to infiltrate our minds and penetrate to the deepest parts of our soul, even when it's silly. :)
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