Cayla Brown | Staff Reporter
Published March 6, 2014; 1:26 p.m.

Song filled the air in the Bezemes Family Theatre as the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra performed with accompaniment for the Lindenwood University and St. Louis Community College Meramec Concert Choirs.

“This was a great experience for all the choir members,” said Pamela Grooms, Lindenwood University Concert Choir conductor. “This may be some of my students’ only chance to perform with a major work such as this. I am so proud, they did a fabulous job.”

The voices and instruments melded to deliver a beautifully performed “Requiem, Op. 9” which was written in 1947 by French composer Maurice Durufle. Within the nine movements of the piece, there were two soloists, Montel Moore and Jennifer Crane. The Philharmonic also performed “Tragic Overture, Op. 81” by Johannes Brahms and “Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88” by Antonin Dvorak.

Sophomore Brandon Thompson, one of three Lindenwood students in the Philharmonic, said, “It was interesting performing with the choir. There was just a wall of sound coming over you. The pieces are very secular, but they have some really great moments.”

The St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra is an all-volunteer, self-sustaining, not-for-profit organization composed of members from around the area. The group is under the direction of Robert Hart Baker, who has been conducting the Philharmonic since 1982. The orchestra practices two to three hours a week on Wednesday nights with emphasis on becoming one unit.

With the amount of talent in each of the performing ensembles, the rich tones and pure harmonies seemed natural. Overall, the sold out concert was one filled with music and applause.

photos by Romain Polge