The Eindhoven Student Music Society Quadrivium (ESMG) can blow out no less than 60 candles this year. To celebrate this, they performed together with the Philips Philharmonic Choir and the Souvenir Youth Choir. In the Muziekgebouw in Eindhoven, the well-known composition ‘Carmina Burana’ was played for some 1,250 interested people.
According to Quadrivium composer Cas Mous, the performance of Carmina Burana was a months-long project. “We had Carmina Burana on the list for our sixtieth anniversary. It is a super famous piece and we have brought together other, smaller orchestra groups from our association, such as the harmony and symphony orchestras, especially for this,” says Mous. A total of 200 musicians were on stage.
“Carmina Burana is the piece to bring together choirs and different orchestras,” says Pieter Wils, chairman of the association. “It is fantastic to be able to play this piece in such a huge hall for so many people.” The Hertog-Jan hall of the Muziekgebouw was completely sold out with 1,250 visitors.
Embrace
The Student Orchestra means a lot to the young people who are part of it. “I joined Quadrivium in the third year of my bachelor’s degree,” says choir singer Ianthe Henquet. “Before that, I found it very difficult to make friends, partly because of corona. Quadrivium was a group that immediately embraced me. Music is a very nice way to get in touch with people, because it is one language.”
The room was full of friends and family. “My two daughters sing in the youth choir,” a woman said after the performance. “I am incredibly proud of them. We are also a musical family, so it is also in our blood.”
Another woman leaves the room inspired. “A friend of mine is in the choir. I thought it was really beautiful to listen to. I used to be in a choir myself, but I didn’t dare to do anything further with it. Because of tonight I might want to pick it up again.”
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
