The Fine Arts Department at Saint Anselm College has been presenting common hour concerts throughout the year, featuring performances from both students and faculty. These performances are held in the Koonz Theatre, usually from 12:30-1:15 p.m., in between classes.
Molly Lozeau, the music program’s office assistant and lecturer, organizes many of the concerts. “We plan concerts throughout the semester,” she said, “and typically use the common hour times, since most students and faculty are available to participate in or attend during that time. Once we get close to the concert date, I compile a post of performers and music details to create the program.”
Any student who is in the MU160 Lesson class can perform. Lozeau described how the course and the concerts are connected: “This class consists of weekly lessons with a teacher, who assigns music and assists in practice techniques and such. When students perform, they play a piece they've been working on in their lessons.” All faculty members are also given the opportunity to perform and may choose any song they wish.
“Sometimes our concerts have a theme,” said Lozeau, “and then music or composers are directed towards the theme. For example, our first concert of the semester was in collaboration with the Intercultural Center in celebration of Black History Month; we encouraged faculty and students to perform music by African American composers.”
“The list changes for every concert!” said Lozeau when asked if there are any consistent performers in the concerts. With 19 faculty members who teach lessons and between 55-60 students typically in the lesson classes, there is a wide variety of performers who have the opportunity to showcase their skills during these concerts.
Information about upcoming performances is posted to the “Music at Saint Anselm College” Facebook page. The performances are live streamed to this page, and both past concerts and a multitude of pictures from them can be found there.
The Fine Arts Department’s performance schedule for the rest of the semester is as follows:
- Friday, April 9, 12:30-1:15 p.m. - Music Faculty and Student Common Hour Concert
- Saturday, April 10, 4 p.m. - Charolette Caron’s Senior Thesis: Percussion Recital
- Wednesday, April 21, 12:30-1:15 p.m. - Music Faculty and Student Common Hour Concert
- Friday, April 23, 7 p.m. - Student Opera Performance: Puccini’s “Suor Angelica”
- Sunday, April 25, 4 p.m. - Student Opera Performance: Puccini’s “Suor Angelica”
- Wednesday, April 28, 12:30-1:15 p.m. - Music Faculty and Student Common Hour Concert
- Monday, May 3, 12:30-1:15 p.m. - MU180 Chamber Music Ensemble Common Hour Concert
- Tuesday, May 4, 7 p.m. - MU180 Chamber Music Concert
- Wednesday, May 5, 12:30-1:15 p.m. - Music Faculty and Student Common Hour Concert
For students, faculty, and staff attending in person, Koonz Theatre seating is on a first-come first-serve basis, with mandatory social distancing and mask requirements. Only seats marked with a piece of green tape are permitted to be used.