Music on the Mountain

The Mountain is alive with the sound of music! The Fine Arts department has provided BMC students with a wonderful variety of concerts this semester, including everything from our own chorale to world-renowned musicians.

In one of the most recent concerts, on Monday, November 11, the MLB Auditorium was graced with the presence of the Möller-Fraticelli Guitar Duo. Sometimes called “a unique fusion of Swedish perfection and Argentinian passion,” the couple’s music reflected influences from cultures around the globe, picked up as they performed at a variety of locations throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America.

Johannes Möller and Laura Fraticelli’s selections provided a musical tour of the world, including several romantic German folk songs, which were followed by tangos reminiscent of Fraticelli’s homeland of Argentina. Möller’s own compositions were influenced by Chinese folk music, and especially by a city in China known as “the City of Guitar.” After several other solo selections by Möller, the couple closed with a duet performance of his Fantasy on the American folk song, “Shenandoah.”

The very next week, on November 21, Blue Mountain’s jazz band, Summit, took their turn on stage. Presenting “A Night of Jazz,” they played a wide range of music, including everything from funk-inspired to the classic “Cry Me a River.” As Assistant Director Will Curry pointed out, one of jazz’s most distinctive features is improv – many of the students, including the saxophones, trombones, and trumpets to name a few, had solos that they improvised in the middle of the song. They did an amazing job with both the music they had learned and the music they made up on the spot.

And that’s not all. Dead Week saw several performances by the chorale as they presented the annual “Lessons and Carols” and helped spread the Christmas spirit by sharing a few of those carols during chapel on the following Friday.

The Fine Arts department has made sure BMC students have had the opportunity to hear some great music and be exposed to cultures from around the world. Most importantly, it was all free to the students, an extra incentive to college kids looking for something to do without breaking the bank. And next semester, we can look forward to even more concerts, especially as the chorale gets ready for their long-awaited Ireland tour!