On Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall, the Music Program at Eastern Connecticut State University will host a concert titled “Remembrance and Reflection.” The concert is dedicated to Victoria Soto’s memory and the other victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012. Soto graduated from Eastern in 2008. All donations at the door will go to the Victoria Soto Scholarship fund.
The Eastern Concert Chorale and Chamber Singers, conducted by David Belles and accompanied by Eric Ouellette on the piano, will perform alongside the Eastern Wind Ensemble, which will be conducted by Kelly Watkins.
The concert will explore themes of birth, life and ultimate peace, showcased through pieces such as “In the Bleak Midwinter,” a Christmas carol based on a poem by Christine Rossetti, a 17th century poet. “We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace” will also be featured as a reflection on the peace and resting place through the ultimate sacrifice of giving one’s life.
“Into the Silent Land,” composed by Steve Danyew, will also make its regional premiere at this concert. Danyew, who grew up less than a mile from Sandy Hook Elementary School, was moved to create a piece of remembrance for the victims and their families.
On this piece, Danyew writes, “Through the simple idea of remembering-not forgetting that this happened, not forgetting these children, not forgetting the grief that their families must feel-I realized this is when I wanted and needed to communicate through music.”
