Violins. French Horns. Trumpets. Flutes. These instruments and more joined forces Tuesday for an assembly by the School of Music. BYU students had the opportunity to experience the sounds of orchestral pieces performed by the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra and the BYU Chamber Orchestra in the Marriott Center.
The assembly began with the director of orchestras in the School of Music, Kory Katseanes, addressing the audience.
[easyembed field=”Photogallery”]”How we [in the School of Music] do is more important than what we do,” he said.
Katseanes encouraged students to open their minds to all types of music, instead of just what they are used to. He also encouraged students to seek good and truth through music.
After the director’s brief comments, the orchestras began playing together. Their first piece was “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. While composed for performance with a choir, the orchestra performed it alone. The song, popular around the Christmas season, has words centered around Christ. After introducing the piece, Katseanes encouraged students to find truth through the message of the song.
The second piece the musicians played was the first movement from Mozart’s Symphony No. 40., “Molto, Allegro.” This composition, according to Katseanes, is one of the most well-known pieces of music. Katseanes encouraged students to ponder deep elements of life, including love and beauty, while listening to the performance of the piece.
The third piece was mainly performed by the string sections and had a darker sound than the previous two pieces. Composed by Edward Elgar, “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations is commonly used for funerals because of its “profoundly moving and comforting” sound.
“I’m hoping you hear the truth in this type of music,” Katseanes said of “Nimrod.”
The fourth and final piece performed by the Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras was “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” Katseanes said he hoped the song would help students get in the mood for spring and also encourage them to be lifelong seekers of truth.
The performance was well-received by the audience and the performers received a standing ovation.
