On March 20, the Auburn University Singers held the "Sing Joy!" concert at Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center. The concert was held to celebrate the 50th year of the organization.
Over 300 alumni returned this past weekend to perform, using only the day prior to the concert to rehearse. The alumni were separated into ten groups based on an interval of five years, beginning with the original members and leading up to a performance by the current members of the group.
“I had a great time getting to be a part of an AUsome family,” said a group member of the Auburn University Singers Luke Walker, sophomore in biomedical sciences.
At the end of the concert, the alumni and students performed together.
“Despite all the differences among the generations of singers, the music remains the same and connects us in such a unique and powerful way,” said a member of the group Mary Cam Burg, freshman in English professional and public writing.
Established in 1972, the Auburn University Singers were originally directed by Thomas Smith. Smith worked in directing the concert along with the current director Dale Farmer.
Lara Hejazen, senior in early childhood education, is the president of the Auburn University Singers.
At the concert, the groups performed ten "singers classics," which Hejazen described as songs that have been performed by most of the groups over the years, plus new music performed by the current group.
“One song we sing every spring show that is the singers greatest performance tradition is 'What Would I Do Without My Music' and each time it is performed Dr. Smith will come back for one of the shows and conduct the current group as they sing it,” Hejazen said.
The Auburn University Singers incorporate many styles of music into their performances, including pop and musical theatre.
The Auburn University Singers is currently composed of 40 members who put on performances in the spring and fall at either Telfair B Peet Theatre or the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center.
“We have a singers tour at the end of the year where we perform in many cities and even different countries,” Hejazen said.
The organization is rooted in tradition, such as the ‘singers classics,' pre-show rituals and more.
“There are traditions like our Christmas roast parties, Halloween parties, scavenger hunts and a formal at the end of the year,” Hejazen said.
In addition to the singing and dancing, the concert combined bits of information from 50 years ago, such as gas prices and the popular music or movies of the time.
The success of the organization over a period of 50 years, according to Hejazen, is partly due to the sense of family it creates.
“It was very apparent after watching many adults re-spark friendships and memories together this weekend,” Hejazen said. “We work hard but we all love what we do and get to make memories and new experiences together.”
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Jayne Duignan, senior in journalism and psychology, is a culture writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
