Peddie’s Music Program held the Fall Concert in Geiger Reeves Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Music Department chair Alan Michaels arranged the program, a diverse collection of instrumental and vocal ensemble performances, with the help of choral directors Marisa Green and Zachary Krieger.

The concert opened with La Forza del Destino, performed by the Chamber Orchestra. The powerful  melodies of the opening piece set the stage for the performances that  followed.

As the night progressed, we saw performances by groups ranging from Guitar Ensembles and Treblemakers to the Pulse and the Percussion Ensemble. A culturally and musically diverse theme seemed to be prevalent throughout all the performances. The student-selected melodies ranged from the German song “Schafe können sicher weiden” by Johann Sebastian Bach to the popular “Lord of the Rings” by Howard Shore.

Diversity within the musical selections was one of the primary aims of the concert. “I…consider the balance of the overall program with an eye towards presenting an eclectic mix of music” said Michaels when asked how performance pieces were selected, “[because] the audience and musicians seem to respond to that approach.”

This way of amalgamating a variety of unique selections into a well-balanced, cohesive whole seemed to resonate with the audience. When Michaels himself joined the string orchestra on the guiro during “Libertango,” the audience responded with enthusiastic applause, and saxophone soloists featured in the performance of “Birdland” by The Pulse, drew cheers from fellow Peddie students in other ensembles.

According to Michaels, the audience members were not the only ones affected by the performance. Students walked away feeling empowered and more confident in their musical ability and growth with a “greater desire to equal or better the performance experience,” said Michaels.