The 8th Annual Music Gala was graced by the presence of Eastern University’s faculty to fill the sanctuary of the Church of the Savior. The experience of Eastern’s music faculty come from a variety of places. From Juilliard to Peabody Institute, from international radio broadcasts to New York Philharmonic, the experience served
the faculty well.
The Music Gala is a formal concert presented by Eastern University to display the talents of the faculty of the music department. It was the place to be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18.
Duncan Stearns, harp instructor at Eastern, realized the members of the faculty have “dizzy fingers,” so he chose Dick Hyman’s arrangement of Edward “Zez” Confrey’s “Dizzy Fingers” piece to allow the faculty to display its talent.
The faculty’s talents were also displayed in Leah Kim’s duet with David Byrant’s fiddle tune, “Taliesin.” In regards to Leah Kim’s solo, senior Thomas Francovitch saw smoke coming off of her bow. “She was shredding on the violin. It was awesome,” Francovitch said.
First-year Kelsey Meyers said, “The Music Gala provides opportunities for the music department faculty to perform and shine. The Music Festivals primarily showcase the students’ talents.” The student music groups also performed in the Music Gala. The University Choir certainly praised the Lord. Climbing up the dynamics, the choir filled the auditorium. The soloists highlighted the night with their stand-out voices. Turning Point introduced themselves with the popular hymn for every believer, “Amazing Grace.” Within such a small group, not one voice overpowered another in their a cappella style.
The most acclaimed piece was saved for last. It featured the roar of the tympani drums, the blare of the trumpet, and the thrill of voices filling the room. The soloist senior Maggie Anthony’s operatic voice filled the room and the night became peaceful.
Eastern University’s first Piano Quartet, featuring Duncan Stearns, David Bryant, Jim Correnti and Ron Matthews was a wonderful success. The four pianists were able to stay together as they followed each other’s cues. They received a standing ovation for their last piece of “Dizzy Fingers, the Flight of the Bumblebee.”