Fall Faculty Gala

Last Night, I attended the Department of Music Faculty Gala here at ETSU. My choir teacher had told the women's ensemble to come out and watch the recital, so a couple of my friends and I headed over to Brown Hall to hear the 7:30 performance.

One could only expect the best from music professors, but I was absolutely blown away by the talent that each performer displayed--from vocalists to pianists to horn players and everything in between, it was an impressive night. My friends exclaimed that the performances and their purveyors were "amazing" or "awesome;" I said nothing because I knew that any comment I could make would understate my appreciation of the music they shared.

The night opened with a peaceful Debussy piano duet that left me regretting my neglect of long-ago piano lessons. Following was a trio including a pianist, clarinetist, and violist. I doubt I would ever have thought to composed a trio of those three instruments, but the melding together of the three voices was no mistake. My own choir director, Dr. Matthew Potterton, performed a tenor solo, Eduardo di Capua's "O sole mio," accompanied by Dr. Lavender.

My very favorite performance of the night was the alto saxophone piece "Rock Me!" composed by Barry Cockcroft. Dr. Stephens entered with his sax and walked right through the front of the house to the spot directly below the center of the apron, greeted the audience, donned a pair of sunglasses, and proceeded to play a piece that included the rhythmic intrigue of hip-hop as well as several sections which could easily have been mistaken for the cries of an electric guitar.

The energy of the faculty gala was sophisticated, fun, and absolutely inspiring and I hope to attend more events within the Department of Music very soon. Anyone who would like to give it a try is always welcome to attend our choir concert on October 16! Hope to see you there.