The final concert I attended was on March 15th and it was located at Pierce College Puyallup. It was different than what I had been getting used to with the symphonic bands because it was a choir concert.

The auditorium at Pierce College Puyallup was actually amazing. The lighting created a great ambiance and you could tell a lot of work went into creating that space. The School campus itself was very aesthetic and provided a great atmosphere while I waited for the concert to begin.

This performance was similar to the last because there were so many different pieces from many different composers. There was Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and several others. I don't have the space to cover them all so I'm going to concentrate on Mendelssohn since I have not covered him before and he actually had the most pieces performed during the concert, so I feel he deserves the extra attention. Felix Mendelssohn, born 1809, was a German composer of the Romantic period. Having the ability to play the piano and the organ was a skilled musician. During the first portion of his career Mendelssohn was well received in Germany. It was also during this period that Mendelssohn helped revive interest in Johann Sebastian Bach. Mendelssohn was certainly a multifaceted individual having composed chamber music, piano music, oratorios, concerti, and symphonies. It is no wonder that Felix Mendelssohn is one of the most renown composers of the Romantic era.

 

The audience was better than the TCC performance, but the number of people taking video and pictures was astounding. There were signs posted everywhere asking the audience not to do so. They were completely ignored. One audience member set up his tripod right in front of one of those signs. It really isn't a big deal. A free concert where most of the people there are parents watching their son or daughter perform in a college choir. I'm just glad there is respite in Benaroya hall. Meaning if I had to deal with this kind of thing at a large professional venue, I would probably cast off classical music altogether. I've tried listening to classical music in my free time, but speakers really do not do it justice. At least not my cheap speakers and headphones.

One aspect that I have begun to notice is that these type of concerts love the idea of soloists. Three of the four concerts I have attended for this class have had at least one soloist. It's a really interesting aspect that throws a curveball into the mix and keeps the performances fresh. Almost giving a performance an extra little treat. The soloist creates an opportunity for everyone to help accentuate one individual. This can heighten an already great ability of a soloist and make the experience even more.

As to the music itself, experiencing a choir was an excellent opportunity. I'm glad I was able to catch this performance. I was constantly surprised at the abilities of the human voice. I've never really gotten to hear that style of singing. To be honest a lot of the music I listen to has a lot of growling in it. So you can imagine the contrast from a grungy growl to the pitch perfect harmonies created by all the pieces of a choir.

I have a feeling that Pierce College is a religious school. The conductor had no qualms with talking about god between each piece. Although a lot of the pieces were directly related to religion, however he was always ready to share his opinion about the "right god". It was a little odd to me as I have not heard anyone talk like that in a long time, but to each his own I suppose.