Seeing the Camerata Choir, dressed in traditional black robes which a purple scarf around their necks, made me prepare myself for a long night of traditional church hymns and stuffy music. Yet when the tambourine started playing, I found myself unexpectedly tapping my foot to the high tempo of a catchy song that made me forget all about the mellow concert I had previously envisioned.

On Nov. 9, the Performing Arts Department presented the Camerata-Orchestra Concert. The concert lead the audience through a variety of music eras and combined the techniques of acapella and full orchestra to create a thrilling music experience.

Vecchie Letrose by Adrian Willaert had the audience moving in their seats to the beat, despite the ancient orgins of the piece. It had a fast rhythm and the voices of the choirs were layered to create unpredictable thrills that allowed the melody to soar while continuing a heavy beat.  It was accompanied by a small orchestra, which produced a rich texture.

I was surprised when suddenly jazz elements started coming from within the choir and they took on a much slower, deeper, bass heavy sound that was pleasantly unexpected.  They sang Cry Me a River by Arthur Hamilton, a song that I had only heard as a solo performance, but the choir arrangement of the piece allowed for the song to accompany different ranges of sound and an intricate rhythm. The were accompanied by drums, a piano, guitar and trumpet which created a sound that prompted a swaying movement among the audience.

Screaching and  metal clashing filled the room as thethe Advanced Chamber Orchestra, directed by Jorge Soto, moved onto the stage. During their performance, they played El Diablo Suelto by Heraclio Fernandez which is a Venezuelan piece that was very upbeat with a lot of energy and carried an intricate rhythm.

The concert came to a strong end when the Orchestra, also directed by Jorge Soto, came on stage to perform Sinfonia by Felix Mendelssohn. It was a very traditional piece that was fast paced and light and displayed a wide range of volume, particularly high notes that created a soaring melody and carried the performance full circle, reminding the audience of the traditional roots of the performance.