Lamplighters travel to Shadyside church
This past Sunday the Waynesburg University student choir, the Lamplighters, traveled to the Sacred Heart Parish Church to play “Magnificat in D” by Johann Sebastian Bach.
There were approximately 120 people in the audience, ranging from Shadyside residents, choir member parents and friends from Waynesburg University. Melanie Catana, director of choral music and instructor of vocal music, was very pleased with the performance and the venue quality.
”The music went very well; it’s a beautiful space,” said Catana. “The acoustic are amazing.”
Bela Pater, music director at Sacred Heart, welcomed the Lamplighters to the parish free of charge and after a well received performance, more events are in the works for the future.
An ensemble that included a three trumpets, two flutes, two oboes, a string quartet, an organ and a tympani were among the concert performance. Also, before the choir concert of Bach, there were different performances of Bach’s work, including cellos, played by Sarah Beattie, who did unaccompanied Bach suites. The acoustics of the church were appreciated by Catana.
”[It] was gorgeous, it was just cello playing in this echoey, acoustic church,” said Catana.
Catana, who couldn’t find a moment of the performance she found most favorable, decided that the whole performance was her favorite moment.
”It’s really meant to be a work that fits together as a whole ‘The Magnificat,’ all 12 movements work together as one to say the text of Luke Chapter one verse 40 [to] 45 to 55, they all go together,” said Catana.
Catana is proud of the choir’s ability to process a work of such considerable length.
The first major work was “Schubert Mass No. 2,” which was done in chapel and received high praise, so a continuation was done in 2015 with Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem” for all saints day chapel.
”We did the requiem, Reverend James Tinnemeyer was very partial to, so we did that requiem and this year we did the Bach Magnificat,” said Catana. “It’s kind of my own personal project to doing a major choral work every year.”
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel there will be a free concert for the public to go enjoy the Lamplighters choir.