Choral Classic Workshop Concert Held at Assembly Hall

During the concert

When the AUB Choir and Choral Society held its fifth annual Choral Classic Workshop Concert on the evening of March 24, Assembly Hall was transformed magically into an unforgettable arena of delightful sound and music. As the hall filled up to capacity, the diverse audience of students, faculty, staff, and friends of the AUB community settled into their seats, silenced all their cellulars, and eagerly waited for the concert to begin.

The choir members, all dressed in black, were joined by a select group of student singers from high schools of the area; namely, the American Community School, the Al Hoda High School, Broummana High School, International School of Choueifat, the two Rafic Hariri high schools, the JMH High School, the German School of Beirut, and the Collège Mont la Salle (whose student choir was accompanied by the Mar Elias Choir from Antelias). The students had been rehearsing for two days with experienced AUB choir members and were finally ready to participate in the festive night of music, led by conductor Paul Meers and accompanied by Ramzi Sabra, MD, on the organ and piano.

The concert was composed of an eclectic mix of Latin, English, and Arabic songs culled from a splendid spectrum spanning four centuries in the history of music. The program this year did not commence as usual with the Lebanese National Anthem, but rather by the piece, "Four Arms, Two Necks," by sixteenth-century composer Thomas Weelkes. Then came John Dowland's "Come Again," followed by Italian pieces from the mid-seventeenth century by Isabella Leonarda and the renowned Antonio Vivaldi.

Baritone Samer Badre joined his colleagues in performing the "Chorus of Cigarette Girls" and the "Toreador Song" from George Bizet's famous opera, Carmen. The evening concluded with Bassem Jalgha playing the `oud and Yara Abu Er Rubb on the piano and the riveting performance by choir members of Mily Ya Jannat Bladi, a patriotic, pastoral song by Zaki Nassif.