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Music department performs in Barcelona, takes in culture
March 21, 2005 —
While some students were partying, others working and others taking alternative spring breaks, students in the Saginaw Valley State University Music department and one of their professors performed in Spain.
Professor Eric Nisula led the Saginaw Valley Concert Choir, the Chamber Choir, the Early Music Collegium and the Instrumental Ensemble to Barcelona from Friday, Feb. 24 to Sunday, March 6. The Bay Choral accompanied the group.
They put on three concerts during the beginning of the trip, and then took the rest of the time to see the sights as well as take in and learn about the Spanish culture.
This is the seventh trip abroad for the SVSU Music department. Other places have included St. Petersburg, Florence, England, Budapest, and Prague; they are also planning to travel to Japan in 2007.
"The concerts are a big part of the trip but it is also to see sights and absorb culture," Nisula said. "It gives students opportunities to go abroad and get to know a different culture."
The trips are funded for by various fundraisers and the remaining balance is paid by the students themselves.
In the concerts, they played a variety of music wide enough to wet the palate of any artist.
"We did Dona Nobius Pacem from the B minor mass by Bach, which translates to 'Give Us Peace,'" Nisula said. Also on the agenda was Broadway tunes like "Rhythm of Life" and such popular songs like Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly" and Van Morrison's "Moondance." They also appropriately played "Que Bonita es Barcelona," which translates to "How Beautiful is Barcelona."
"This trip was one of the smoothest ones we have had," Nisula said. The weather was said to be one of the coldest winters in Barcelona in a long time but not many complained being in Spain for spring break.
The next concert for the Music department will take place in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall Friday, April 1 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available for $8 at the SVSU Box Office.