Last Saturday’s glee concert included a mash-up of classical music such as Mozart’s “Ave Verum,” and Ivan Erod’s “Viva La Musica,” in contrast to pop hits from the ‘60s including Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” and Motown’s “I’ll Be there.” According to Glee member Chris Gutmann ’15, the club always comes up with original ideas, and this year was no exception.

Carol Ann Maxwell, Director of Choral and Liturgical Music at Fairfield, explained at the concert that the diverse music styles of Detroit, Mich. and Salzburg, Austria were the study of unique cities – the overall theme this year at Fairfield. By combining the soulful sounds of the ‘60s inspired by the Civil Rights Movement with the artistic genius of the 18th century, the vibe was a unique fusion of cultural influences, musical styles and thematic meaning.

The members of glee had different musical preferences: “[We were excited for] the Mozart pieces more than the Motown, particularly Regina Coeli and Dixit as part of the chamber singers,” said Gutmann. Conversely, soprano Alli Wright ’16 loved the energy, the smiles, and the choreography for the Motown music.

Although the concert was focused on the music of Austria and Detroit, the most significant part of the night was watching students use their musical talents to honor those that have lost their lives in the recent tragedies that affected Newtown and Boston.

These cities are close to home to many at Fairfield and the gesture that the glee club made proves how compassionate the members are.

The glee club dedicated “Ave Verum Corpus,” to the angels of Sandy Hook. “Lean on Me,” was another emotionally charged song of the night, as soloist Joe Marino ‘14 wore his Red Sox hat to commemorate the victims of the tragedy in Boston.

Marino has performed the song at different events, but he said that he is not sure whether there was a time he performed it that it meant so much to him.

“It’s been a tough week for a lot of students here and a lot of people have felt helpless, so being able to sing for my home and my community was a beautiful moment,” said Marino. He got the idea to wear the Red Sox hat after Maxwell told him that it would be their encore song, and for him he said it just made sense.

Members of the audience gave the song a standing ovation. “It was very nice, in light of the recent tragedies that occurred in Boston. It helps alleviate any feelings of sadness that current residents are experiencing,” said Matt Schneider ’15.

The shared feeling of the concert seemed to be triumph over disaster and that people need to be there for one another in times of tragedy.

The glee concert was a success because it proved the symbiotic relationship of music to humanity. “The thing about music is that it brings out the best pieces of the human element: teamwork, cooperation, and appreciation for the simple beauties in life,” said Marino.

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