BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
There will be a choral concert performed by local groups tomorrow evening at Beach Schmidt Performing Arts CenterThe concert is open to the general public and is completely free of charge and is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
The theme of the night is “Take Me to the Water” and all of the concert pieces relate in some way to water (rivers, oceans, rain, etc.).
Terry Crull, professor of music and director of choral activities at Fort Hays State, summarized what attendees can expect from the evening.
“The concert has three choirs,” Crull said. “The Fort Hays Singers, a select chamber group and the top vocal ensemble at FHSU; the FHSU Concert Choir, a large choir that is open to any student; and the Smoky Hill Chorale, an adult community choir.”
Crull continued by highlighting the benefits of concerts like these and made a point to touch on how grateful he is for the facility upgrades.
“Our concerts are always free admission and present near-professional level music with a wide variety, something for everyone,” Crull said. “The new Art & Design building shows we have state-of-the-art facilities. Recent re-modeling of Malloy Hall spaces (Palmer Recital Hall, Dilley Rehearsal Hall, Felten-Start Theatre) give our musicians and actors good facilities.”
Crull also noted the concerts won’t be a three hour marathon, but will instead be around one to 1.5 hours long.
He then emphasized how much he would like for his students to be recognized and accented within the community.
“I wish the greater campus community took as much interest in our fine musicians as they do athletic contests, Encore events, etc,” Crull said. “Our students in Visual and Performing Arts are doing great things.”
Finally, Crull concluded with the importance of the arts in relation to human-to-human dynamics.
“Music, theatre, and the visual arts – such as painting, sculpture, photography – help humans get in touch with their feelings, and thereby to understand the feelings of others,” Crull said. “Hearing and/or viewing the arts helps each of us to relate to others. It makes us human in a way mere words or numbers cannot.”
Another community choral show – and Crull’s favorite – is also quickly approaching the stage. The Cathedral Christmas Concert will take place on Sunday, December 11 and will be hosted at the impressive “Cathedral of the Plains” or Basilica of St. Fidelis in Victoria.
For more information, including a complete schedule of Concerts & Events Calendar, check out this link. https://www.fhsu.edu/music-and-theatre/arts-calendar