Music, singing and dancing saturated the atmosphere of John R. Emens Auditorium this weekend as the Ball State University Singers performed its 49th annual Spectacular concert.
This year’s show displayed the organization’s repertoire of songs that it performed on its tour of Guangzhou, China, said Alan Alder, University Singers producer and director.
“I’ve never been to China, so I thought, ‘How about we just go ahead and run over there?’” Alder said.
The 15-piece band and the 20 vocalists that make up University Singers performed 44 different songs in front of a backdrop of shining stars that mimicked the global-university theme of the show, “Reaching Across Earth.”
Violet Murff, a sophomore telecommunications major, performed a piano and vocal solo of “If I Ain’t Got You.” This is Murff’s first year in University Singers.
Other popular songs performed included “Born this Way,” “Man In the Mirror,” “If I Were a Boy” and a Christian piece University Singer Anita Rogers peppered with her gospel growl.
The diversity of the music selection had the audience clapping and singing during most of the performances.
Kim Martin, a freshman music education major, said the show kept her and her friends jumping and clapping in their seats.
“I love it. It’s so energetic and upbeat,” Martin said.
Aside from students, Spectacular also drew in some alumni.
Alumnus Bradley Kieper said he was impressed by the show.
“This is actually my first show back since graduating,” Kieper said. “It’s awesome to see how much it’s grown and how much the talent level has gone up. This group is very extraordinary.”
Kieper was a vocal performance major and a cast member in the glee club for two years.
The show closed out with a performance of “Edge of Glory.” Even with the conclusion of their biggest show of the year, the University Singers have a lot ahead of them.
Alder said Interculture, the organization that hosts international festivals and the group’s tour in China, invited University Singers to another competition that will be held in the United States in the fall.
“We hope to come back in the top five,” he said.
