The department of music will be putting on a brief concert at 12:10 p.m. Friday, as part of their “Bach’s Lunch” performance series. The performance will be held in the Penote Performers Assembly in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and is scheduled to run until 1:10 p.m.
“Bach’s lunch is a very informal casual concert that is intended to highlight some of the music students so they can get practice performing in front of a live audience. They’re very short — they’re about 50 minutes, and you’re supposed to bring your lunch,” Noelle Elliott, department of music publicity and concert coordinator, said.
Elliott said different students perform each time, in groups ranging from two members to eight.
“This Friday, four [students will perform] — three vocalists and one on piano,” she said. “It’s all classical. For this Friday, the majority of the lyrics that the students are singing are in German.”
Flyers with translations will be distributed to the audience. Elliott said the performance will include works composed by Richard Strauss and Francis Poulenc.
Elliot said the department holds “Bach’s Lunch” concerts four to five times a semester and the performances vary widely in audience attendance.
“It depends — if students promote themselves, it can be from 50 - 60 people, and sometimes, there are four people,” Elliott said. “But four people are better than no people. That’s really what performance is about — having an audience. Because if there’s no audience there, then you’re just rehearsing. The energy from the audience is so important for the people performing.”
She said that for the performers — all of whom are music majors — this performance experience is critical.
“They’re going to be performing in front of a large audience eventually,” she said. “You go out and since you don’t have your music, you’re really performing, and the nerves are there, and it’s a way for them to learn to deal with their nerves.
“But, also it’s supposed to be polished and performance-ready, just like they would for their senior recital, or if they’re planning on pursuing a career in music, to prepare them to do this as a career.”
Elliott said she encourages anyone interested to attend the free but ticketed concert.
