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Last Tuesday, Oct. 10, in the SCC Boardrooms, the Saint Leo Rhythm Machine, the Saint Leo Singers and Chamber Singers, the Saint Leo Strings, and Just the FACTS banded together to perform seventeen songs from the 1960s for the Fall into Song Concert.
With only five weeks scheduled to practice (and only four weeks practiced because of Hurricane Irma), the groups had to dedicate themselves to many long hours of rehearsing, both scheduled and unscheduled. Dr. Cynthia Selph, the director of this concert, was very content with how the concert went.
“I think this concert got us off on the right foot for this semester. All of the soloists were introduced to new music they had never sung before,” said Selph. “The sixties songs sound simple, but they are very hard to pull off. I think we all experienced some musical growth and that’s what we’re here to do: to learn to be better musicians.”
It takes a lot of patience, determination, and courage to sing in front of an audience. The performers not only had to perform the songs at 4 p.m., but they had an encore show at 7 p.m. Why do they do it?
“I’ve been [singing]since I was little and it’s just brought me so much relief and so much joy that I wanted to share my talent with others,” said sophomore Anthony Marchitto.
The staff and performers weren’t the only ones who were happy with the event’s turnout. Audience members were swaying and tapping their feet while they listened to the songs of their childhood.
“I came here because my friend said it was really good. I know a lot of people who are performing, and I wanted to see how good it really was,” freshman Tabitha Martorano said.
The songs performed ranged from folk songs like “Scarborough Fair,” to early rock and roll such as “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix. Other popular songs included “Dance to the Music” by Sylvester Stewart, “Happy Together” by the Turtles, and “Hello, Goodbye” and “Yesterday” by the Beatles, and “Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.
“The music was all chosen over the Summer. We wanted songs that represented the decade because this is the theme [that was selected by]the [School of] Arts and Sciences.,” said Selph. “We tried to get a variety of music that was popular. We had a Simon and Garfunkel tune. [We represented] Elvis Presley. Paul Anka [was represented]. A lot of those were really big names in the Sixties, but I didn’t want to do something that was all just exactly alike.”
As for the future performances, the groups are scheduled to perform again on Sunday in the Abbey for the Fall Family Festival. And in another five weeks, there will be a concert in the Winter.
“We have a pretty full performance schedule. They work hard and they learn quite a bit of music, but that’s what you do in college. I think their hard work pays off and they do a really good job,” Selph said.
