Music spanning centuries filled Rediger Auditorium as the Symphony Orchestra took the stage.
The annual concert took place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23. The orchestra, composed of around 40 instrumentalists, played a series of pieces organized in reverse chronological order.
The show began with the newest piece, a familiar melody from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, from 2010. The fifth and final piece, Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, “Reformation,” was composed in 1830.
“Something in each piece is going to be familiar to people, whether it be a folk song or a hymn tune, or, in the case of ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ the film music,” Christopher Bade, director of the Symphony Orchestra and professor of music, said. “It’s audience friendly without being audience pandering.”
“Reformation” is a symphony inspired by Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” making it a familiar tune to many, Sami Lail, a freshman piano performance major and member of the Symphony Orchestra, said.
The concert spanned a range of types of music, including film music, folk dance type tunes and romantic symphonies, Kristen Sybesma, a junior psychology major and Symphony Orchestra member, said. A piece by Edvard Grieg was one of her favorite parts of the concert.
“It’s two Nordic melodies,” Sybesma said. “I really like it because I feel like I can really put my emotions into the notes that we’re playing ... and there’s some technical parts in that one, too, that I just enjoy that were a little bit challenging at first, but now that I got it it’s just really fun to play.”
Enjoying the gift of music as a group is always a highlight at the concerts, Kelsey Frank, a sophomore psychology major and Symphony Orchestra member, said.
Bade hoped that through the concert, the students of the Symphony Orchestra would grow in collaboration with one another.
“It’s kind of fun when you think about an orchestra allegorically,” Bade said. “You’re an individual, and [when] you walk into the room, you have to submit, kind of like we submit to the Lord ... I’m going to let myself go so that I can be part of this bigger thing. And hopefully I’m transformed in a way that is educational, that is spiritual, that is emotional, and that we grow together.”
Taylor concerts are a chance for attending students to grow. Students often miss out on rare opportunities by choosing not to attend the free arts opportunities offered at Taylor.
During a busy season of projects and finals, concerts like the Symphony Orchestra concert offer a chance to relax, Sybesma said.
“I think if you go, you’re going to have such a wonderful time listening to great music, but also you’re just going to get a chance to experience God’s gift of music to humanity,” Frank said. “It’s just so profound.”
Taylor concerts also offer a chance to enjoy the beauty of classical music, Lail said. Hearing classical music live is a uniquely powerful experience.
The Taylor Music department invites students to step out of their comfort zones and enjoy the talents of Taylor’s musicians at upcoming concerts.
“A, support your friends,” Bade said. “B, going to live music or art or anything like that? There’s nothing like it in the world. C, it’s free. D, if you do this out in the world, it’s gonna cost you a whole bunch of money, a whole bunch of time, and E, it’s good for you. [You] might even have fun.”
