HSU Students Perform Mozart’s “Requiem” Alongside the Abilene Philharmonic

(ABILENE, Texas)–Before the conclusion of the spring music season, HSU students prepared for a significant event on their calendars: a performance of Mozart’s “Requiem”. This concert, based on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s work, took place at the First Baptist Church of Abilene. The Hardin-Simmons’ choir performed the piece with the Abilene Philharmonic, the McMurry University choir, and the Abilene Christian University choir.

“I have to say they were fantastic. Really, I felt they were probably, between them and the orchestra, the highlight of the evening,” says Lynnette Chambers, professor of voice.

The Abilene Philharmonic has a standing tradition of more than 20 years, where they invite the three universities to perform together. The event is an amazing opportunity for students, who get the opportunity to sing along a professional orchestra and different people that they have not sang with before. For this concert, the group performed the show’s opening number, Mozart’s “Symphony N. 25”, and closed the evening with Mozart’s “Requiem”.

Lynnette Chambers performing at First Baptist Church

HSU students dedicated extra hours to rehearse for this event. Professor Chambers was also in charge of a solo performance at the show.

“Overall, I think it was a great performance, and it was really neat to sing with those four people because I had never sang with that quartet before. It was a neat experience to get to sing with some different voices,” says Chambers.

“I felt that the HSU students were great. The concert was divided into several movements, and they sing the first three. The tenor who was sitting next to me leaned quietly and said ‘they are on fire,’ and yes, they were. I was really proud of them,” Chambers says.

Join the Hardin-Simmons’ choir at their final choral presentation on April 29 featuring both the chorale and the concert choir.