Union University’s Symphony Orchestra is new to campus, having just recently launched its first season. The first concert took place Nov. 8 at First Baptist Church in midtown Jackson.
The performance included “Kriegsmarsch der Priester” by Felix Mendelssohn, “Oboe Concerto in C” by Antonio Vivaldi and “Symphony No. 1” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Last spring, the Department of Music launched a pilot orchestra, but the first official Union University Symphony Orchestra started officially rehearsing this semester.
Chris Mathews, department chairman, expressed a desire a couple of years ago to add the orchestra as a course offering at Union.
Ironically, he thought this vision would take at least eight to 10 years to come together. Little did he know it only took two years for the plan to come to fruition.
“We started the orchestra immediately because we knew that there were string players on campus already, and we could use the existing Symphonic Band members to fill the brass, woodwinds and percussion sections,” said Michael Mann, assistant professor of music and coordinator of instrumental music education. “As each semester has passed, more and more string players have enrolled at Union as both majors and non-majors.”
The orchestra’s 34 members include 14 music majors and 20 non-majors. The Symphony Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the annual “Union Christmas” celebration in G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel.
“We are praising the Lord for all the great things that He has done,” Mann said.
