The Collegio Pittsburg's student voice since 1916
Curtis Meyer, Reporter
The Pitt State Choir held their annual Musical Luncheon at the Overman Student Center, serving food to attendees and singing various Christmas songs.
“It’s kind of an annual tradition so we have our systems in place, we had about an hour so had some time to fill, how many pieces we can do in that time. As soon as we finish our November concert, we put all our energy into this,” said Susan Marchant, Director of Choral Activities.
Marchant was the organizer of the event, which has been held for as long as she can remember. This event represents the Pitt State choir as they go on to future concerts.
“Oh my gosh, decades maybe, we took a pause when we couldn’t be together, but we reinvigorated the tradition last year, so this was our second time back. For a lot of these students, it’s the first time they’ve done this,” said Marchant.
Tickets were on sale for 19 dollars each and included a meal from a winter holiday themed buffet. Some of the proceeds go towards a touring program for Pitt State choral ensembles. A variety of songs were sung, from old Christmas classics to newer selections.
“As you can see, we tried to get something for just the men, just the women, small group and large group, so hopefully there’s a lot of variety in there,” said Marchant.
The students enjoy the concert as well, giving them an opportunity to have a stress-free concert and get into the Christmas spirit. Music education major Joel Garber sees it as another way to express himself here at Pitt State.
“So, the luncheon to me is a way to express myself with music but also spread holiday cheer with others, especially those that enjoy listening to it,” said Garber, who had a clarinet solo in a couple of the songs.
Garber focused on playing with his friends and spreading the holiday spirit with those near him.
“I was one of the clarinet soloists in this, and one of the bigger ones I had was unending claim and it’s really nice to play chamber music, especially with those who care about it as much as you do,” said Garber.
The luncheon was sold out, with the Crimson and Gold Ballrooms full of attendees. With 8 to 16 to a table, there was a very large crowd that seemed to enjoy the different musical selections, clapping at the end of each song and giving a standing ovation after the final number.
Before this can happen, however, much effort and work must be done. Students spend many hours practicing, and Marchant and others have to go through piles of songs before picking the right selection to fit the holiday theme and time.
“This event specifically, we probably put close to 80 hours’ worth of practice, individually and with a group. It takes a lot of self-motivation to pull this off,” said Garber.
“We have a large library, and some new. We just keep looking for things and try to honor a lot of the traditions of the season,” said Marchant.
The Pitt State choir holiday season will continue at Timmons Chapel, with a free concert that is a staple of Pitt State holiday tradition. The concerts began in 1968 and were personally decorated by Beth Spiva Timmons, who all faiths chapel is named after. Concerts will be held Dec. 7 and 9, both beginning at 7:30 p.m.