On a campus that is known for sports, the arts may fall by the wayside. But last week, the Performing Arts Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Art and Design reminded us of how much they provide to our community with the Fine Arts and Performing Arts Winter Concert.
“A lot of the focus at St. John’s is that we’re a D1 school,” Elisa Bono, a sophomore vocal studio performer, said. “The arts also have a lot of crazy talented people… it’s really cool for all of us to come together and show our talents.”
Held in the Little Theatre on Nov. 22, the concert brought together six student groups with numerous performers: the Chamber Music Society, Vocal Studio students, the Jazz Band, the Mixed Chorus, the Chappell Players and Voices of Victory. The entire night was emceed by Associate Professor of Art and Design, Ross Barbera.
The showcase opened with “Ave Maria” sang by a member of the Chamber Music Society.
They were followed by the Vocal Studio students singing “For the First Time in Forever” from Disney’s “Frozen” and “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from Funny Girl. The Jazz Band followed up with classics; including “Route 66,” featuring a solo performance by sophomore vocalist Kayla Knight.
They were followed by the Mixed Chorus, singing “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway play Rent, and The Chappell Players sang a rendition of “Burn” and “The Next Ten Minutes” with leading roles portrayed by seniors Chelsea Guerra and Brandon Lisama.
Lastly, Voices of Victory performed three songs to round out the night.
The Winter Concert showcased great talent here at St. John’s with a mix of classic and contemporary pieces, giving everyone a little something to enjoy.
“There were definitely a lot of good song choices. My favorite was the Frozen piece, I like when they pick songs that we all know,” Anna Kamuda, junior audience member, said.
The Winter Concert not only provides a place to watch and hear performances of different genres, but also provides a place to foster the arts and help performers grow.
“I think it’s great that St. John’s has a program like this where we get to experience all the different genres of music and genres of the arts,” William “Bill” Powell, senior in Voices of Victory, said. “Not just vocalists but also musicians and even some of the theatre arts are expressed here.”
Dylan Defeo, graduate assistant of the Jazz Band, echoed similar thoughts. “There’s so many talented people here and there are hardly any outlets around in everyday life, so it’s nice to have events where everyone is under one roof,” he said.
