Union University’s Symphony Orchestra performed their spring concert Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in the G. M. Savage Memorial Chapel, the music consisting of pieces from Star Wars’ “Rogue One”, Dream Works’ “How To Train Your Dragon” and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony #8.
According to Daisy Murfey, freshman music major and concert performer, the event drew a larger crowd than usual.
“We got a lot of positive feedback from the audience,” Murfey said. “Dr. Kinchen and Dr. Culp were both very pleased at how it went.”
This concert appeared as one in a sequence of performances in which popular themes from movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Harry Potter” are paired with composers such as Beethoven or Brahms. This is in part, Murfey said, to help prepare the students for their careers.
“At the end of the day, the concerts are the fun part,” Murfey said. “[The song choices] accurately simulate working in a professional orchestra, whether that be for a movie or just a symphony orchestra concert.”
Although the music of “How To Train Your Dragon” and “Rogue One” was relatively familiar to listeners, music like that of Dvořák was something most had not encountered before.
“Really accessible, familiar music is always going to draw a wider audience,” William Miranda, freshman political science major and attendee, said. “I know for a fact that a lot of people showed up just to hear the ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ score in person who wouldn’t have gone otherwise. I’m not a big orchestra guy myself, but I’m trying to be, and having those accessible starting points, it’s good for the layman.”
Murfey agreed, saying that it is something the music department keeps in mind for their concerts.
“If you are exposed to something more, you will usually become more interested in it,” Murfey said. “Pairing it up like this exposes people to classical work, which I think is good for people — even if it’s unwillingly at first!”
While some left cautiously interested in Dvořák’s music, others left fully convinced that they enjoyed it, including attendee Dyson Guerra, sophomore history major.
“I loved it,” Guerra said. “[The different pieces] fit really well, and they all had similar styles that meshed well. They really weren’t three very different things at all.”
