Chamber Ensemble gets going

For students who love playing musical instruments but have no one to perform with, the newly formed Chamber Ensemble Society (CES) is the place to be.

This student group is based on music performance and is looking for passionate new members to join the team. 

(Photo by Mark Burridge/Beacon Staff) Sophomore Peter Mitchell is Chamber Ensemble President, and Sarah Fuller is vice president.

The club meets Saturdays at 3 p.m. in the main auditorium of the Church Street Center. At the next meeting, members will be choosing music for upcoming performances.

“The Chamber Ensemble Society is a creative outlet for those who wish to perform music they love or have written, those who want to play something different when compared to the credited courses, and those who wish to perform but have no time to enroll in a class,” said club president Peter Mitchell. 

Instruments range from the clarinet, flute, oboe and viola to the bass guitar, piano, saxophone, trumpet and many more. There is also a variety of ethnic instruments in the group, according to Mitchell, who enjoys playing the pan flute.

Members are divided into different ensembles based on the instruments they play and the music they want to perform, Mitchell said. The goal of the club is to have at least two large musical performances per semester.

“When you walk into the Church Street Center, you wouldn’t see us, but boy would you hear us,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell co-founded this club with Vice President Sarah Fuller because he said there was nothing like it on campus. The only way for students to play an instrument was to take a music class.

The idea began in the spring of 2010 and sparked interest in a variety of students. With the help of the club’s advisor Professor Michael Dilthey, CES is growing in numbers and enthusiasm each week.

“This is a huge opportunity for the music department to expand past the Allegrettos,” Mitchell said. “We are not restricted by the style of music we perform; we are only restricted by the ideas of the members in the club.” 

The club is currently planning an Irish music-based performance for St. Patrick’s Day, according to Vice President Fuller. The idea of a Switchfoot concert in the spring is also in the making. 

“I see this club going far,” Fuller said. “We are beginning to look at bigger projects. It is definitely an outlet for musicians, since there seems to be a lot of theater groups on campus but very few actual instrumental groups, if any.”

She said students from all different levels and music backgrounds should join the club because of how relaxed and nonjudgmental the environment is. She also encourages students to suggest songs in the rock, Celtic and contemporary genres for upcoming performances.

“We’re a bunch of truly motivated individuals and we already have ideas for some bigger projects we’d like to take on once we get the members and support we need,” said Secretary Miranda Benjamin.

Interested musicians can e-mail Peter Mitchell via FirstClass for more information or attend the next club meeting on Saturday at 3 p.m. Bring your instruments.

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