These are the best of the best,” chair of the music department Ron Matthews said proudly as he looked back to the musicians on stage during his opening announcement. It was the second night of the Spring Music Festival in McInnis, and the auditorium was over half full, ready to hear the pieces of music that EU students have been preparing all semester long.
During the intermission, sophomore Kristen Davies said, “I can really tell they’ve been working hard.”
The Spring Music Festival took place over a span of three days. April 23 and 24 saw the various Eastern music groups on the McInnis Stage, while the Flute Ensemble finished with their own concert on April 25 in Fowler Hall.
From the Jazz Ensemble and University Choir to the MIDI Ensemble and Angels of Harmony, the Spring Music Festival showcased the many talent musicians of Eastern.
The two-night concert showcased not only music students, but also members of the community. According to first-year Amy Peck, the director of the St. Davids Orchestra Society, David Bryant, invites musicians near Eastern to perform with the students.
Peck was excited to play “Bacchanale,” composed by Camille Saint-Saens. She expected that piece to be the best, and it was.
Some students were in multiple groups, performing on more than one night. “My voice is pretty tired,” senior Aubrey Wagner said.
Wagner sang with Turning Point on April 24 and performed a solo on April 25 in Fowler Hall. She also played flute with the Flute Ensemble that Sunday night.
The festival was an indication of the hours of practice musicians must put forth to succeed, making them, in their directors’ eyes, “the best of the best.”