Faculty recital draws audience for a night of “powerful” performances

By Isaac Dawson

Nine Concordia faculty members performed a music recital for a packed hall of students and alumni on Feb. 8, which performers and audience members called both humbling and powerful.

The annual event in the Borland Center for Music and Theatre featured performances by vocalists Dr. Adrienne Dickson and Ellie Palmer; organist Paul Soulek; cello player Eric Wallace; clarinet player Heather Ryan-Christie; marimba player Bennett Jandreau; horn player Timothy Aulner; and pianists Andrew Daugherty and Dr. Elizabeth Grimpo.

Sophomore music major Jonathan Baumann said he felt humbled watching the music faculty perform at the event in the Borland Recital Hall.

“When you see your teachers all standing up there and performing their craft it’s kind of incredible,” Baumann said. “It makes my juries a lot scarier, knowing I’ll be judged by these ‘gods of music.’”

Cello instructor Eric Wallace said performing on stage was a powerful experience.

“The whole situation, being up on a stage and everybody watching you do a thing is really weird,” said Wallace. “It’s a bit unnatural, but it’s also an incredible experience to be able to have a chance to share what you can do with all these people and that’s really powerful.”

Dr. Elizabeth Grimpo accompanied several performers on piano. She said she enjoyed sharing the beauty of music with the audience members.

“There is always value in sharing music with others,” she said. “It’s always my desire that what I perform somehow blesses someone in the audience in some way, no matter how small. God gives us glimpses of beauty in this life, and music is one of them.”

After the event’s introduction from Dr. Kurt von Kampen, Adrienne Dickson took the stage with Grimpo for the night’s first performance. Singing mezzo-soprano, she performed “Voi che sapete” from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.”

Afterward came Paul Soulek on the organ with “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright.” The song was broken into two parts, the latter half featuring a cameo appearance from Assistant Professor of Music Robert Cody with the trumpet. The first part was composed by Niels Wilhelm Gade, and the second was composed by Charles W. Ore.

Cello instructor Eric Wallace was next playing “Sonata in A Major” by Ludwig van Beethoven on the cello with Grimpo as accompanist. Heather Ryan-Christie followed with the clarinet for a song called “Lamento et Tarantelle.”

Senior Jacob Huber said Ryan-Christie’s performance was his favorite because “the tarantella was very invigorating and had a fun melody.”

Ellie Palmer sang two songs in soprano: “The Lamb” by Lee Hoiby and “Love’s Philosophy” by Roger Quilter.

Baumann said he loved the ending of “Love’s Philosophy” performed by Palmer.

“It’s kind of on the same plateau, and then right at the end it’s just so powerful and resonant and [Palmer’s] voice just filled the space,” he said. “It’s like the entire song was just leading up to that moment. And her diction? It was like the only English song I’ve ever listened to where I’m like ‘I could understand every word!”

Bennett Jandreau was next on the marimba with “Burritt Variations” by Alejandro Viñao, a piece that fellow performer Wallace called impressive.

“The marimba piece stood out to me, just from a technical standpoint of all the different lines that are going at different rates all at the same time,” said Wallace. “I counted at least three time sub-divisions happening at the same time. Two of them were with one hand! That’s quite impressive.”

Next was Timothy Aulner on the horn playing “Laudatio” by Bernhard Krol. Andrew Daugherty was last with the “Carmen Fantasy for Piano” by Georges Bizet and Ferruccio.

Grimpo said she uses her practice time efficiently to prepare for events like the faculty recital.

“I think musicians always have multiple pieces they’re working on at any given time, even if they’re only performing one on a given recital,” she said. “Personally, when I have a lot to learn, it’s essential that I use my time efficiently, and to practice mindfully, getting small goals accomplished every time I sit down at the piano.”