Mirror File Photo
A silence fell over the crowded Quick Center as students dressed in black with red accents filed out onto the stage. The silence was then broken by singing that left listeners with chills.
The Glee Club’s “Glee Goes Global” concert on Saturday night was dedicated to the memory of sophomore Julia Sill, who passed away in January and was an active and beloved member of the Glee Club. The concert featured a wide variety of songs performed in different languages and a special performance by the Taiko Masala Japanese drummers.
The concert began with the Fairfield University Alma Mater, which was then followed by songs in many different languages, including French, Chinese, Mende, Japanese, Latin, and Hindi.
“M,” sung entirely in Japanese by Joshua Matteo, ’13, was dedicated to all those in Japan who are suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake. The emotional song ended with part of a Japanese prayer, which translates to: “beginnings come randomly, but endings always have a reason.”
Also featured in the concert was the Indian song “Jai Ho,” from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The Glee Club incorporated the original choreography from the movie into their performance as well, captivating the audience.
The musical performance featured solos by Jennifer Lance, Nicole Raposo, Mary Hamann, Sean Williams, and Peter Lyons. The song was sung in Hindi, with English refrains.
Throughout “Jai Ho,” the audience was thoroughly engaged; clapping to the beat of the song, and the applause was deafening when the song concluded. The Glee performers also looked as though they were enjoying themselves.
The concert was conducted by Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell, the Director of Choral and Liturgical Music at Fairfield University, and the musical performances were accompanied by pianist Beth Palmer.
During the third part of the concert, the special guest artists, the Taiko Masala drummers, made their appearance. Their performance was fascinating to both watch and listen.
The drumming style of Taiko, which is of Japanese origin, combines the training and discipline of Japanese martial arts with the precision and power of drumming.
Overall, the crowd had a great reaction to the dynamic performance.
“I thought it was really impressive how they incorporated songs in different languages, and even integrated dance into it,” said Maggie Andrew, ’14.
When asked how she felt about the overall outcome of the concert, alto Nicole Raposo, ’14 said, “The concert went really well! I loved singing in so many different languages and how we incorporated the Taiko [Masala] drummers. They were awesome!”
Filled with culture, language, and meaning, the “Glee Goes Global” concert received a standing ovation, rewarding all of the practice and efforts put forth by the Glee Club performers.
“To prepare we not only had to learn the notes and rhythms of each song, but also the proper pronunciations of each language,” said Raposo. “We got to learn some sweet choreography too. Glee Goes Global was definitely one of our best concerts this year.”
Leave a Reply