91�����

Marking the year�s last concert in the St. Vincent de Paul Lecture and Concert Series, the 91����� Aquinas College, New England, Choir and Orchestra gave a meditative, profound performance of Paschal selections on Friday evening. 

Student choir director Matthew Santos (NE�26) introduced the concert with a brief explanation of the order and thought behind the selected music. �The pieces are unified under the formality of a meditation on Christ�s Passion and Resurrection,� he said. The repertoire followed a progression of mood, beginning with somber, heavy music for the Passion, then switching to a joyous character by the end of the concert, signifying Christ�s triumphant Resurrection.

The concert began with Albinoni�s mellow �Adagio in G Minor� by the orchestra; the choir joined in with the piercingly poignant �Stabat Mater� and the �Ave Verum Corpus.� Succeeding these were a few pieces by Bach and Buxtehude, in which many students gave beautiful solos. The audience, provided with English translations of the Latin pieces, followed along with the words of Bach�s Oratorios and St. John�s Passion as the pieces were performed, meditating on Christ�s sacrifice. 

As the tone changed to the jubilant and victorious music of the Resurrection, the entire audience stood for the performance of Handel�s Hallelujah from �The Messiah,� and rose again to give a standing ovation after the final piece, �Worthy is the Lamb.� 

�It was such a moving performance,� said Levi Smail (NE�29). �I was incredibly impressed with the fruits of their effort � the concert was beautiful.�