Colleen Coleman-
As a part of the Family Weekend program, the Music department will present the Musical Showcases on Saturday, Oct. 5th featuring performances from the Gustavus Choir, Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, and Gustavus Jazz. The Sunday, Oct. 6th concert will feature the Choir of Christ Chapel, Lucia Singers, Gustavus Wind Symphony, Handbell groups, and Gustavus Philharmonic Orchestra. Both concerts will be at 1:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel.
During the Saturday showcase, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra will be doing themes from the Studio Ghibli movie My Neighbor Totoro and the Ukrainian folk song A Moonlight Night. Families young and old alike will be excited to hear familiar tunes, whether it be from their favorite movie or a song from home. The Gustavus Symphony Orchestra will be performing L’Arlésienne Suite 2 by Georges Bizet, from the French Opera of the same title.
Additionally, during the Saturday showcase, the Gustavus Choir will be performing Do You Still Remember by Benjamin Wegner featuring a mesmerizing vocal soundscape, excerpts from Consider Matthew Shepherd by Craig Hella Johnson, and a vocal jazz arrangement of the classic tune His Eye is on the Sparrow. “I really love the music we are performing for Family Weekend, I think it really showcases and represents who we are as a group,” Member of the Gustavus Choir and Sophomore Abi Biermann said. “There are so many gorgeous moments in our pieces that I think the audience will really enjoy, and that I can’t wait to share with people,” Biermann said.
During the Sunday showcase, the three handbell choirs will perform various pieces, such as Acclimation in G Minor by Karen Thompson, and Canticle by Arnold Sherman. The fascinating nature of a handbell choir will be well-loved by all families and attendees. “I’m really looking forward to performing Canticle this weekend, it will be incredible as we’ve been putting a lot of work into perfecting it over the past few weeks,” Member of Christ Chapel Ringers and Sophomore Drew Lyford said. The Gustavus Wind Symphony will feature songs related to the Nobel Conference theme this year, such as Sleep by Eric Whitacre, Feather by Danielle Fisher, and Incandescence by Adrian Sims.
Additionally, during the Sunday showcase, the Lucia Singers will be performing an arrangement of the classic American folk song How Can I Keep From Singing?, I Am Not Yours by David Childs, and Give Us Hope by John Papoulis “Lucia Singers will be performing three different songs that are unique and beautiful in their own way, and bring a different energy to the audience,” Member of the Lucia Singers and Junior Nina Nordstrom said. “We’ll be wrapping up our set with this absolutely wonderful outburst in clapping and celebration, where the audience will love to join in the music-making,” Nordstrom said.
The Family Weekend Music Showcases are a brilliant opportunity for Gusties and their families to see a wide variety of what the Music department has to offer. Being one of the few opportunities that numerous different types of music ensembles come together to perform, the performance naturally showcases what it means to be a Gustie. An expansive variety of music will be performed, ranging from Japanese film scores, to vocal jazz gospel, to French operas, and many more.