On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 I had the distinct pleasure to view the Toledo Symphony and University Choral Society’s rendition of Handel’s Messiah. This was a special experience for me because the festival series board transformed the College of Musical Arts into a homey, and welcoming place for me this holiday. Be that I am so far from home, this is a hard time of the year. It made me feel warm inside because of all of the decorations, and most importantly, the familiarness of the Messiah, and the exquisite execution of the Messiah really put me in the Christmas spirit. Suddenly I did not feel so homesick, and I was able to enjoy the company of friends in substitution of my family, at least for a little while. As a member of the Festival Series Board, the Messiah allowed me to make christmas treats for the reception before and at intermission of the show. These refreshments were to invoke the Christmas cheer among the audience under the guidance of Susan Knapp, but also as a member of Arts Enterprise, I collaborated with SAI to raise funds for their Global Heartstrings Project. This act of giving really helped me feel at home, and also really instilled the Christmas Spirit in me.
“Don Quixote” was definitely not what I was expecting it to be like. On November 6, 2009, I spent my Friday evening in attendance at this spectacular performance. Before this evening, I had never been to a single opera in my entire life, and this one had a unique twist to it. The story of “Don Quixote” was introduced on stage as a puppet show, performed by the Madcap Puppets of Cincinnati. The cool thing was that the puppets were life-sized with a mini-puppet show going on in the performance! The puppet show introduced how Don Quixote wanted to become a knight, and led right into the opera performed by Bowling Green State University students. It was an entertaining show watching Don Quixote battle windmills and help save a wedding that would break the heart of a town from occurring. The vocalists who sang the Spanish during the puppet show and the opera singers during the English portion were phenomenal, and the pit orchestra and dancers, were outstanding, as well! The performance was entertaining to watch and kept me wondering on what Don Quixote and Sancho Panza would do next. It was a great first opera for me to attend!
On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 I had the pleasure of attending Handel’s Messiah in Kobacker Hall. While this wasn’t the first time I had seen Handel’s Messiah it was the best that I have seen. The most exciting part of the whole work was the Soprano arias. I must say I do have a bias towards them because I have studied all of them. The reason that I think that those parts are most exciting is because each singers uses different ornaments and it makes a familiar piece new each time. Another great part was the University Choral Society. They really impressed me, because I hadn’t heard them before and their sound was resonant and strong. Of course I loved the Halleluiah Chorus. Each time I hear it, the sounds and harmonies are exciting. The Soloist were very expressive and tremendously talented. I really want to go see Handel’s Messiah again.
On December 4th, I went to see the University Men’s Chorus in Kobacker Hall. This was Mr. Cloeter’s first time performing with this choir and I believe it was a successful performance. Though the program was very long, the variety of songs kept it interesting and exciting. At the beginning of the program, the men walked into Kobacker Hall while singing “Sing dem Herrn.” This different and unique was of starting a performance really captivated the audience and got us intrigued. The rest of the first half of the program was filled with different variety of era’s that all fit together. The second half of the program was very different from the first. They had guest male ensemble groups perform and then the Men’s Chorus performed again with some beautiful pieces including one of my favorite versions of Ave Maria. My favorite part of the evening was the last three songs. Professor Cloeter invited up the alumni to sing with the chorus. It was very touching to see the current members and the alumni singing together and was a great way to end the program.
On Thursday, October 22nd, I was able to see Concert 1 which was part of the New Music and Arts Festival series, and featured composers like: David Froom, David Lung, Kristin Kuster, Steven Stucky and Wayne Oquin. Although I was originally there to see David Froom’s compositions, since he was my group’s chosen composer, I definitely enjoyed the two movements of Orpheus Over and Under which was composed by David Lang. Concerning David Froom’s compositions, although they were somewhat enjoyable, I felt as though they contained no relevance to their titles. On the other hand, I completely enjoyed David Lang’s compositions because of the contrasting melodies, rhythms and dynamics that painted image upon image in my mind of Orpheus’ struggles and successes. Although the melodies and singular notes were completely repetitive, the care and consistency that the pianists put into these movements was very moving.
On Friday, December 4, 2009, I attended the University Men’s Chorus Concert. I’m glad I chose to attend this concert because I was entertained the entire time. There were so many different parts of the concert that I was never bored. My favorite part was the HeeBeeBGs. This was my first time seeing them live and they were fantastic. Their performance of 12 Days of Christmas was hilarious. I have seen another group perform that piece before, but the HeeBeeBGs made it their own and really entertained the crowd. I think my second favorite was the first varsity quartet that sang right after intermission. They sang a song about Christopher Columbus which was also hilarious. I had to hold myself back from laughing so that I could hear the next part. I don’t think there was any part of the concert where I was struggling to stay awake. That means that it was a lively, well prepared concert. Again, I’m glad I went to it.
On Thursday, December 3rd, was a night for beats like you would not believe. Kobacker hall in the Moore Musical College hosted an event of percussion that left your body pulsing in rhythm. The night began with a taste of Balinese percussion integrated with some unique footwork. This portion was interesting and culturally enlightening but only the beginning. Next came the Afro-Caribean vibe that sent a serge of energy through the hall with everything from the drums to maracas and the way to the expressive dancers with moves that was tiring to simply watch. I especially enjoyed the bit of cuban influence since my boyfriend is cuban it was cool hearing some familiar beats and techniques. Finally the last act was made up of huge drums that made you jump in your seats. I do not remember the name of this group and have turned in my programs so it is now impossible for me to record that bit of information. However the ending of the show was my favorite part. As a whole the show was entertaining invigorating even if you are just in the audience watching. It was an awesome experience and i plan on attending their performance again next year.
On Friday, October 30th, 2009 at eight P.M. I had the pleasure of seeing Noobies, the new comer show. I really enjoyed it because it was like a show made up of different pieces from other shows and non show tunes. The songs all fit together very nicely and everyone who performed in the show did a wonderful job! My two favorite songs were “Taylor, the Latte Boy” and “Gia il sole dal Gange”. Both of the pieces were stuck in my head for days after the show. All the soloist in “Taylor, the Latte Boy” sounded very good, and the skit was also funny making it even more enjoyable. Patrick Conklin also sounded very wonderful when he sang “Gia il sole dal Gange.” I left the show happy and humming the Newbies song.
December 6th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 I had the distinct pleasure to view the Toledo Symphony and University Choral Society’s rendition of Handel’s Messiah. This was a special experience for me because the festival series board transformed the College of Musical Arts into a homey, and welcoming place for me this holiday. Be that I am so far from home, this is a hard time of the year. It made me feel warm inside because of all of the decorations, and most importantly, the familiarness of the Messiah, and the exquisite execution of the Messiah really put me in the Christmas spirit. Suddenly I did not feel so homesick, and I was able to enjoy the company of friends in substitution of my family, at least for a little while. As a member of the Festival Series Board, the Messiah allowed me to make christmas treats for the reception before and at intermission of the show. These refreshments were to invoke the Christmas cheer among the audience under the guidance of Susan Knapp, but also as a member of Arts Enterprise, I collaborated with SAI to raise funds for their Global Heartstrings Project. This act of giving really helped me feel at home, and also really instilled the Christmas Spirit in me.
December 7th, 2009 at 11:30 am
“Don Quixote” was definitely not what I was expecting it to be like. On November 6, 2009, I spent my Friday evening in attendance at this spectacular performance. Before this evening, I had never been to a single opera in my entire life, and this one had a unique twist to it. The story of “Don Quixote” was introduced on stage as a puppet show, performed by the Madcap Puppets of Cincinnati. The cool thing was that the puppets were life-sized with a mini-puppet show going on in the performance! The puppet show introduced how Don Quixote wanted to become a knight, and led right into the opera performed by Bowling Green State University students. It was an entertaining show watching Don Quixote battle windmills and help save a wedding that would break the heart of a town from occurring. The vocalists who sang the Spanish during the puppet show and the opera singers during the English portion were phenomenal, and the pit orchestra and dancers, were outstanding, as well! The performance was entertaining to watch and kept me wondering on what Don Quixote and Sancho Panza would do next. It was a great first opera for me to attend!
December 7th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 I had the pleasure of attending Handel’s Messiah in Kobacker Hall. While this wasn’t the first time I had seen Handel’s Messiah it was the best that I have seen. The most exciting part of the whole work was the Soprano arias. I must say I do have a bias towards them because I have studied all of them. The reason that I think that those parts are most exciting is because each singers uses different ornaments and it makes a familiar piece new each time. Another great part was the University Choral Society. They really impressed me, because I hadn’t heard them before and their sound was resonant and strong. Of course I loved the Halleluiah Chorus. Each time I hear it, the sounds and harmonies are exciting. The Soloist were very expressive and tremendously talented. I really want to go see Handel’s Messiah again.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
On December 4th, I went to see the University Men’s Chorus in Kobacker Hall. This was Mr. Cloeter’s first time performing with this choir and I believe it was a successful performance. Though the program was very long, the variety of songs kept it interesting and exciting. At the beginning of the program, the men walked into Kobacker Hall while singing “Sing dem Herrn.” This different and unique was of starting a performance really captivated the audience and got us intrigued. The rest of the first half of the program was filled with different variety of era’s that all fit together. The second half of the program was very different from the first. They had guest male ensemble groups perform and then the Men’s Chorus performed again with some beautiful pieces including one of my favorite versions of Ave Maria. My favorite part of the evening was the last three songs. Professor Cloeter invited up the alumni to sing with the chorus. It was very touching to see the current members and the alumni singing together and was a great way to end the program.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:54 am
On Thursday, October 22nd, I was able to see Concert 1 which was part of the New Music and Arts Festival series, and featured composers like: David Froom, David Lung, Kristin Kuster, Steven Stucky and Wayne Oquin. Although I was originally there to see David Froom’s compositions, since he was my group’s chosen composer, I definitely enjoyed the two movements of Orpheus Over and Under which was composed by David Lang. Concerning David Froom’s compositions, although they were somewhat enjoyable, I felt as though they contained no relevance to their titles. On the other hand, I completely enjoyed David Lang’s compositions because of the contrasting melodies, rhythms and dynamics that painted image upon image in my mind of Orpheus’ struggles and successes. Although the melodies and singular notes were completely repetitive, the care and consistency that the pianists put into these movements was very moving.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
On Friday, December 4, 2009, I attended the University Men’s Chorus Concert. I’m glad I chose to attend this concert because I was entertained the entire time. There were so many different parts of the concert that I was never bored. My favorite part was the HeeBeeBGs. This was my first time seeing them live and they were fantastic. Their performance of 12 Days of Christmas was hilarious. I have seen another group perform that piece before, but the HeeBeeBGs made it their own and really entertained the crowd. I think my second favorite was the first varsity quartet that sang right after intermission. They sang a song about Christopher Columbus which was also hilarious. I had to hold myself back from laughing so that I could hear the next part. I don’t think there was any part of the concert where I was struggling to stay awake. That means that it was a lively, well prepared concert. Again, I’m glad I went to it.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:22 am
On Thursday, December 3rd, was a night for beats like you would not believe. Kobacker hall in the Moore Musical College hosted an event of percussion that left your body pulsing in rhythm. The night began with a taste of Balinese percussion integrated with some unique footwork. This portion was interesting and culturally enlightening but only the beginning. Next came the Afro-Caribean vibe that sent a serge of energy through the hall with everything from the drums to maracas and the way to the expressive dancers with moves that was tiring to simply watch. I especially enjoyed the bit of cuban influence since my boyfriend is cuban it was cool hearing some familiar beats and techniques. Finally the last act was made up of huge drums that made you jump in your seats. I do not remember the name of this group and have turned in my programs so it is now impossible for me to record that bit of information. However the ending of the show was my favorite part. As a whole the show was entertaining invigorating even if you are just in the audience watching. It was an awesome experience and i plan on attending their performance again next year.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
On Friday, October 30th, 2009 at eight P.M. I had the pleasure of seeing Noobies, the new comer show. I really enjoyed it because it was like a show made up of different pieces from other shows and non show tunes. The songs all fit together very nicely and everyone who performed in the show did a wonderful job! My two favorite songs were “Taylor, the Latte Boy” and “Gia il sole dal Gange”. Both of the pieces were stuck in my head for days after the show. All the soloist in “Taylor, the Latte Boy” sounded very good, and the skit was also funny making it even more enjoyable. Patrick Conklin also sounded very wonderful when he sang “Gia il sole dal Gange.” I left the show happy and humming the Newbies song.