University Singers perform at state honor concert

On Jan. 19, Professor Tony Gonzalez and the University Singers performed at the OkMEA Choral Honor Concert in Tulsa.

OkMEA stands for Oklahoma Music Educators and is affiliated with the NAfME which is the National Association for Music Education, focused on making sure that the quality of music education for K-12 students is good.

The University Singers sang “Exsultate” which was written by Brian Galante, a Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

The choir also sang, “Sehnsucht, Op. 112, No. 1” written by Johannes Brahms, a German composer during the Romantic Period.

The choir continued with, “Lux Aurumque” written by Eric Whitacre, who is currently Visiting

Composer at Pembroke College at Cambridge University, as well as being a popular modern composer.

“Bogoroditse Devo, Op. 37” by Sergei Rachmaninoff was also performed. Rachmaninoff was a Russian-American composer who was known as one of the best pianists of the time, and one of the last composers to represent Romanticism in classical Russian music.

The Visayan folk song, “Rosas Pandan” by George Hernandez continued the performance, and included a solo for sophomore Isabella Ruano.

“Sunday,” from the musical “Sunday in the Park with George,” by Stephen Sondheim was also performed, and included a solo for senior Peter Quinn as George.

The University Singers section of the concert finished with the song, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” arranged by Cedric Dent, which included a solo for senior Lily Parker.