Erica Maurice
Staff Writer
Morgan Auditorium filled with spooky tunes and laughter Tuesday night as the University of La Verne Chamber Singers and the University Chorale celebrated their Monster Mash Spooktacular.
This is the first time the Halloween concert has taken place.
The concert started with a condensed version of the silent film “Nosferatu” playing on a projector as James Calhoun, Director and assistant professor of music, played the spooky ‘Toccata and Fugue in D Minor’ on the Organ.
As he finished the piece the Chamber singers and Chorale members joined him on stage to perform.
Some songs performed in this concert included “Double Trouble,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Monster Mash,” “Cruella De Vil” and “Jabberwocky.”
The songs had audience members singing along and bobbing their heads to the popular pieces.
“I wanted to put together pieces that were thoughtful and pieces that were serious,” said Calhoun. “Not just thrillers like ‘Monster Mash.’”
“‘The Phantom of the Opera’ was my favorite song,” junior music major Paolo Kespradit, said.
Another song performed was “Speechless,” composed by junior chamber singer Emmanuel Lagumbay.
Lagumbay composed “Speechless” in two parts titled “Fear” and “Death.”
“One day I decided to do this piece, it was just in my head,” Lagumbay said. “I come from an instrumental background so I wanted to try a song that will be done in an instrument sound but by using voice.”
This song began with members of the chamber singers standing in the aisles of the auditorium and with a few on stage.
As the second part began, the singers moved onto stage and enclosed Lagumbay in a semicircle until he was blocked from view.
They formed an enclosed circle facing away from the audience that cut off the only light source present.
The piece communicated almost a feeling of being enclosed in a tomb as only small beams of light reached the audience.
“These are different pieces that I think students should know,” Calhoun said.
During the Chamber and Chorale performance, special guests, the Leo Singing Dudes, donned lab coats and goggles to perform their barbershop quartet pieces.
They sang “Trick or Treat” which incorporated the La Verne campus with lines like “Put soap in the school fountains,” “Taking air out of the wheels of the Campus Safety tires until they are flat” and talked about scaring President Devorah Lieberman.
The boys also sang the love song “Bewitched.”
“‘Bewitched’ was a lot of fun,” senior member of L.S.D. Zachary Green said.
“It was lovely-dovey and I’m kind of cheesy.”
They also performed “Monster Mash,” which featured a performance by senior theater arts major Alvaro Renteria. Renteria narrated for the quartet and danced as part of the performance.
“Hopefully we will do it again if you enjoyed it,” Calhoun said.
The next concert is the Winter Concert on Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. in Morgan Auditorium.
Erica Maurice can be reached at erica.maurice@laverne.edu.
