FINE ARTS
“We’re all masked, six feet apart, plus there’s a solid 65 yards between the far left of the ensemble to the far right of the ensemble. It was important that we take the time to produce a high-quality performance that our audience is used to,” says conductor James Patrick Miller.
Because of COVID-19, ensembles had to
Adversity and Destiny, consisted of musical
It can feel a little aimless when there isn’t
rethink the concert experience for both
scores from Star Wars, Silverado, How to
an end goal for us as a choir,” Cherland
audiences and students. They’ve embraced
Train Your Dragon, Schindler’s List, and
says. The Lucia Singers were invited to the
the recorded concert format—delivering
Princess Mononoke. “It was really important
Minnesota Music Educators Association
an exceptional audio-visual performance
to keep this year’s tour special, especially
Midwinter Clinic. With videographer Will
experience to screens everywhere.
for the seniors since they’ve already missed
Clark ’19 and audio engineer Geston, the
Both the Gustavus Wind Orchestra
two tours because of COVID,” says James
ensemble created a recorded performance,
and the Gustavus Choir collaborated with
Patrick Miller, Douglas Nimmo Professor
also with student interviews.
videographer Evan Taylor ’12 and audio
of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra.
engineer Doug Geston to record virtual
The Lucia Singers, directed by Elisabeth
Despite its trials, the pandemic has afforded the opportunity to share the
tours. Each was a professional recording
Cherland, have also continued to perform
Gustavus music experience with new
session, with conductors selecting their
by adopting a recorded format. “As an
audiences. Including you: Recorded
favorite sections from multiple takes, then
educator, I’ve really started to understand
performances can be accessed on
mixing them into one master recording.
the importance of these performances to
Gustavus’s Fine Arts YouTube channel at
stay energized and connect with the music.
gustavus.edu/gustavusfinearts.
GWO’s tour, titled Heroes Facing
GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY | SUMMER 2021
BRINGING MUSIC TO SCREENS EVERYWHERE
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