The Camerata and Chamber Orchestra simply outdid themselves Tuesday night at the Bach-themed concert in the Atrium.

The concert began with a short musical intro before director Michael Driscoll explained the main focus of the night on Bach and Bach-inspired music such as Köthener Messe by Jonathan Dove.

The audience gave off a warm and attentive atmosphere and chuckled as Driscoll lightheartedly explained that all the songs were in a foreign language such as German and Latin.  Furthermore, he introduced the peculiar addition of the recorder, played by professional musicians Heloise Degrugillier and Emily O’Brien.  Of course, the recorders were made out of wood and not plastic.

At this point, the Camerata members were solemn and focused, prepping for their soon-to-be big debut of the night.  The purple scarves of the girls pleasantly contrasted with the black and white tuxedos of the boys.

The first song was Revecy venir du Printans by Claude LeJeune.  The recorders emitted a mysteriously playful tune, which starkly contrasted  with the grave and somber chorus. The Atrium was an unexpectedly amazing, compact concert hall, and the rectangular structure amplified the impressive harmonization by the four sections.

The audience met the performers with overwhelmingly enthusiastic applause after the short silence, as everyone attempted to absorb in the last remnants of the revitalizing music.  The language barrier had surprisingly worked its charm and conveyed the feelings of the return of springtime without the distractions of the lyrics.

The highlight of the concert was undoubtedly the Köthener Messe by Jonathan Dove.  It was the longest piece of the night and featured six members of Camerata: senior Ellie Richardson and junior Melissa Picker as soprano; senior Daria Krechevsky-Lipsitt and sophomore Moe Wakai as alto; junior Arthur Chen as tenor; and senior David Krane as bass.  The students performed magnanimously. They stood so close to the audience, one could see the concentration and absorption on their faces as they pondered and enunciated each syllable.

Again, the recorders presented the audience with a distinguishing contrast, alternating between a string of short and quirky tunes and the more sober notes which blended with the string instruments of the chamber orchestra.

Driscoll’s conducting also added a certain elegance and coherence to the entire performance.  The performers paid close attention, and were very responsive to his directions in volume and pace.

The night ended with the Bourree by Bach.  The short piece provided a fulfilling wrap-up to the sensational concert.  The performers stood by proudly as Driscoll stepped aside and directed the applause to each section of the Camerata and Chamber Orchestra.

Tony Ji can be contacted at [email protected]