City College’s Symphony and Choir concert delivered peaceful and emotional energy to audiences as they performed the opera “Verdi Requiem” at their annual show.

The concert was held April 27 in the Garvin Theatre. It featured a variety of City College groups, including the Symphony, Choir and Women’s Choir, and Chamber Orchestra. They played operatic pieces from the Romantic era, composed by Giuseppe Verdi.

The City College Chorus and Symphony prides itself in mirroring the community’s diversity and appreciation of the arts. They describe themselves as a “jewel in Santa Barbara’s crown.”

The musicians tuned their instruments while the audience trickled in, and Conductor Nathan Kreitzer welcomed four soloists to the stage.

They sat front and center while the orchestra surrounded their backs.

The lights dimmed and the performance began. With around 150 people, 20 instruments, and a wide range of voices, there was not a dull moment.

The glistening gold and rich, honey-colored instruments contrasted perfectly with the all-black attire and made for a breathtaking scene.

The opera featured seven sections, and some parts were so intense it felt like your heart was beating to the sound of the instruments. Others were calm and peaceful, and the range of sounds interrupted by moments of silence kept the audience in suspense of what would come next.

The energy in the theatre was not just felt by the performers. When the music builds up, you often feel the need to sit on the edge of your seat.

A little smirk here and there from the performers connected the audience to the musicians. It was a shared experience, like we were in on the same joke.

Soloists Nichole Dechaine, Julia Metzler, Tyler Thompson, and Keith Colclough were a personal favorite of mine and they shined under the Garvin lights. Their voices were surreal and sounded too good to be true.

The soloists took turns standing up and serenading the audience. With their voices and the backup of the choir and orchestra, it was a truly mesmerizing performance.

Between the bows of the string instruments, the singers’ movements, and the flying arms of the conductor, there was a noticeable emotion on stage. This all made the amount of preparation and practice that was put into the show more obvious.

The final section, “Libera me,” was a riveting and powerful ending to the show, and the audience shot to their feet for a standing ovation.