Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” was performed at Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus on March 5, 2024.
With collaboration from the local community the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra and multiple SEMO choirs performed a piece by Mozart with six different movements in one.
The first act had pieces by different composers and was conducted by Professor of Cello and String Bass and Director of the Southeast Symphony Orchestra Dr. Sara Edgerton.
Two of the pieces in the first act had solos from SEMO students. Senior music education major Sam Barrentine and senior music performance major Angel Cremeens both performed solos at the concert, according to the concert’s program.
The second act, containing six movements of “Coronation Mass,” was led by Director of Choral Activities Dr. Barbara Lamont. Included with the orchestra were three different choirs: the University Choir, Choral Union, and the Chamber Choir.
Each choir had members who were music and non-music major students. The Chamber Choir not only had student participants but local community members. All three choirs were led and directed by Dr. Lamont.
Dr. Lamont said she and Dr. Edgerton had been planning this performance since 2021 but, due to COVID, had to reschedule.
“Dr. Edergton and I had actually planned on doing this Mozart back in 2021 and then it was canceled. Now that we have gotten back into doing regular concerts we thought it would be good to do these pieces,” said Dr. Lamont.
Starting about five weeks prior, the performers started practicing for this performance, and only two nights did all the choirs and instruments practice together.
Explaining the movements in the “Coronation Mass,” Dr. Barbara Lamont said a piece like this can be helpful for students.
“I like to do things like this because there is a good variety and it gives the singers and instrumentalists a chance to you know to grow and stretch in different ways during the whole piece,” Lamont said.
Unlike other concerts, students and professors were on stage at one time.
Junior music education major Emily Dalton, who watched the performance, explained what it meant to her.
“It’s such a cool thing. So, when you include more of the community and having like these special guests that draws more people in,” Dalton said.
Seeing non-music majors and people from the community can be inspiring to students.
Sophomore music education major Rebekah Myers describes what this could do after graduation.
“It was just like you don’t have to have a career in music to continue,” Myers said.
