The QU Singers performed their spring concert in front of a packed audience in Buckman Theater on Thursday, April 23. With limited seating available, members of the audience even stood in the back to see students and faculty perform.
The concert was conducted by music professor Fred Rossomando, who enthusiastically applauded his choir after every song throughout the evening. Carmella Rossomando-Heise and Ralph DeLucia accompanied Rossomando playing the bass and guitar, respectively. Lee Walkup used his skills on the keyboard to enhance the performance.
A number of the songs performed by the QU Singers were recognizable hits, including The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” and The Drifters’ “On Broadway” (later covered by George Benson).
One of the highlights of the hour-long concert was the choir’s cover of James Taylor’s “Shower the People,” which had the audience clapping along to the beat. The choir itself was especially livened up during the performance. Rossomando’s arrangement perfectly showcased the group of singers throughout the song.
While the choir is comprised mostly of women, the concert featured the tenors during a performance of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” who all did a tremendous job at reaching the same level of Sting and others.
Finally, the concert concluded with a medley of songs from The Beatles ranging from “The Long and Winding Road” to “All You Need is Love” to “Hey Jude” (which included the audience in that section of the performance). Following the performance, the audience got on their feet to applaud the efforts of Rossomando and the QU Singers.
At the end of the concert, Rossomando recognized the graduating seniors leaving the choir making this their last concert. Janine Elliot, Kathleen Hessman, Stacey Kinnier, Griffin McGrath and Kate Paskiewicz were given flowers as a token for their hard work throughout the past semester and last few years at Quinnipiac.
Rossomando encouraged the audience to donate to Horns for Kids, which is a non-profit organization that promotes music education in Connecticut. According to Rossomando, over $90,000 worth of instruments has been given back to schools in the area.
The QU Singers meet Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. (and Mondays for those who cannot attend the Thursday practice). Anyone is welcome to join and Rossomando hopes to see a number of new faces in the fall.