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Family Weekend Concert 2014!

As Freshman First We Came to Yale...

On Saturday, October 11th, we had our annual Family Weekend Concert with the Yale Symphony Orchestra and the Yale Concert Band! We sang a variety of music, including the premier of a piece that Jeff arranged for us this year called, "I'll Go With You." Elias Bartholomew, a sophomore in the Glee Club, volunteered to write a short blog post about his experience. Read it below!
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Woolsey Hall, filled silent with Yale families, alumni, music enthusiasts, and ornithologists, sat waiting. We, the 154th Yale Glee Club, ran in at a brisk clip. And, having bowed in perfect sync, we sang “Gaudeamus Igitur.” Though it is as old as the Glee Club (we know they sang it in 1861), this song rings true to me every time we perform it. “Gaudeamus” is a call to rejoice in the traditions that bring people together. Namely academia, but also, as was evident on Saturday night, music.  

After reminding ourselves that music was a great tradition, we rejoiced in it, singing the beautiful fourth movement from Brahms’ Ein Deustches Requiem (which is one of Jeff’s favorite pieces ever, so we kind of had to do it), the instant Douma classic “I’ll Go With You” (a setting of a traditional Shaker tune), and Moses Hogan’s powerful arrangement of “My Soul Is Anchored in The Lord,” which was the crowd favorite, as measured by the John Stoughton Newberry Applause-o-meter.

Celebrating yet more tradition, we finished the set out with classic Yale songs: “Eli Yale” and the Football Medley allowed us to explore our full dramatic range as an ensemble, and also showcased Rachel Protacio’s witty verse. We ended the concert as we always do, with “Bright College Years.” Afterwards, we dispersed to listen to the Yale Concert Band. Especially notable was their rendition of the first movement of the Carmina Burana, which was accompanied by a choir of great virtuosity and ingenuity.
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(AKA, the Yale Glee Club, of course!) 
Thanks again Elias for sharing your experience! Next up is the Princeton concert!

With Glove, (Glee + Love)
Victoria

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