The Music Department held a concert April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Auburn United Methodist Church.
The concert included performances by the University concert choir as well as the men’s and women’s choruses.
Admission was free, and music department students in music appreciation received credit for attendance.
The concert choir is an auditioned group of 100 singers and is under the direction of Thomas R. Smith, director of choral activities and professor of music.
The group is open to all Auburn students by audition, and its participants include a variety of majors.
Melissa Joseph, a sophomore in zoology and a member of the concert choir, said she enjoys a break from her science classes.
Joseph performed actively in high school choir and is happy to have the opportunity to continue musical performance during college.
“While I’m not a music major, I am very passionate about singing, and concert choir has given me a chance to pursue this hobby at Auburn,” Joseph said.
They perform a multitude of genres throughout the year.
Over the years, the concert choir has hosted a wide range of guest composers, including Jester Hairston, Eugene Butler and the late William Dawson.
The concert choir also performs across the community, takes an annual spring tour and often takes trips overseas.
The concert choir has been a guest performer with a variety of symphonies and is a regular feature at festivals.
Another section of Monday’s concert was the women’s chorus, which is also open to students by audition.
Auditions for women’s chorus are held in April for all current students and the first week of the fall semester for incoming students.
Auditions for men’s chorus are held in a way similar to women’s chorus.
Guests included Auburn students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the community.
Jill Hodges, a sophomore in industrial engineering, said she enjoyed the evening’s performances.
“As cliché as it may be, my favorite part of the concert was the performance of The Alma Mater,” Hodges said.
Erin Hutchins, a junior in political science, also attended the concert and enjoyed the variety of music.
“The concert choir did a piece of African music that I particularly liked,” Hutchins said.
For more information on the Department of Music, students can visit its Web site at http://media.cla.auburn.edu/music/index.cfm.
