By Darian Rahnis, Staff Writer
The music department hosted a chamber music re- cital featuring select student instrumentalists on Nov. 29 in Stretansky Concert Hall.
The students who participated included senior Dylan Little on trumpet, juniors Rachel Daku on tenor saxophone, Emma Mooradian on alto saxophone, Benjamin Nylander on piano and Rosemary Butterly on clarinet, sophomores Melanie Sonatore on alto saxophone, Briana Heinly and Madeline Birk on violin, Ronnell Hodges on viola and sophomore Victoria Meneses on cello and first-years Kirby Leitz on alto saxophone and Jenny Morris on baritone saxophone.
Associate professors of music Gail Levinsky and Jennifer Sacher Wiley helped prepare the students for the recital, who were divided amongst three small ensembles.
Three pieces consisting of multiple movements were performed at the recital.
The groups performed “Scherzo for Saxophone Quartet” by Warren Barker, “Suite for Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, and Piano” by Seymour Barab and “Clarinet Quintet in A” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Morris, who was a member of a saxophone ensemble, said the group gave a successful performance.
“We all stopped and just smiled, so that’s always a good thing,” Morris said. “We were also able to get some things that we hadn’t gotten before, so that was good.”
Morris also said that while they gave a good performance, she also said she knows there is room for improvement.
“There are always things that need to be worked on, but for this performance it was really good,” Morris continued. “I think we’re all looking forward to the next piece that Levinsky will assign us.”
Morris explained that they prepared for the concert by hav- ing rehearsals every Monday night throughout this semester, while occasionally adding in some rehearsals on Thursdays.
“The reason it takes so many rehearsals is because we don’t have a conductor,” Morris said. “It’s very much us relying on each other and looking at each other and interacting with each other in a small chamber ensemble.”
Morris believes that she and her fellow ensemble members work well together.
“Everyone has their days that we’re just sort of down, but sometimes we’ll just put down our saxophones and do jumping jacks for a little bit,” Morris said. “Yeah, that’s a thing.”
In terms of the audience, Morris hoped they would have enjoyed themselves and the relaxed atmosphere.
“Our piece was written by the same guy that wrote the ‘Bewitched’ theme,” Morris said. “It was a very sort of fun and light-hearted piece that was just sort of goofy.”
First-year Alison Erwin said, “I loved the string ensemble at the end.”
“It was really good,” Erwin continued. “I love Mozart, so I really appreciated the last one.”
Erwin would encourage people to go to more concerts in the future and said that she would go even if she was not a music major because they are fun and a good time.
“They’re a good way to calm down when you’re stressed out about school,” Erwin said. “If you’re a music major, it’s fun and you get a forum credit.”
The chamber music recital is one of the last music perfor- mances this semester.
On Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m., the Chamber Singers will perform a concert conducted by Susquehanna alumnus Christopher Hoster.
On Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., the Symphonic Band will perform a concert conducted by associate professor of music Eric Hinton.
Both performances will take place in Stretansky Concert Hall.
