The UNA School of the Arts and Department of Music produces recitals throughout the semester to showcase the talents and dedication of the student body. Those in the music department wanting to perform in a recital coordinate with instructors, fill out request forms and seek availability. The recital on Wednesday, Sep. 18, welcomed three performances.
Sarah Cate Hatley opened with a romantic piece on violin, with Laurelie Gheesling on piano, performed a piece titled, “Romance in F minor for violin and piano. Op. 11” by Antonin Dvorak. The performance captivated the audience with the delicate movements of the violin.
“When I first heard this piece it was at a violin camp, somebody in my studio had played this piece,” said Hatley. “I had never heard it and I thought it was beautiful, so since July I have been working on it.”
Next up was Katherine Jones on French horn with Joshua Wortham on piano, playing “It Is Well With My Soul” by Philip Bliss. This was a piece that garnered a loud applause from the audience mabelow.
To close the recital tenor, Gary Fuqua Jr. sang two pieces with Karen Cantrell as the pianist. The first of which was “Eterno Amor e fé” by Gaetano Donizetti. This piece not only left members of the audience stunned by the eloquence and power of Fuqua’s voice, but also by the theatrical element added to the performance by Fuqua’s hand gestures and body language.
The last piece of the recital, performed by Fuqua, was “La Statue de Bronze” by Erik Satie. Again, this left the audience both stunned and amused with the mix of a resonating voice and charming body language.
At the end of Wednesday’s recital, Music Education Coordinator Pat Stegall gave a speech encouraging music students to join the “cNAfME,” the collegiate division of AMEA. This organization is for current students looking to be future educators teaching band, choir, orchestra, elementary music, general music and university level music.
“All of you at some point in time may be a teacher in music whether it be in a studio or private lessons or classrooms,” said Stegal, emphasizing the benefit of joining cNAfME. It can aid in making connections for future careers and provide hands-on demonstrations and workshops designed particularly for music teachers.
The recital was, and is always, a huge success in showcasing and allowing the music students to display their talents and dedication to their craft.
