Written by Jocelyn McClung
The vocal octet Octarium will perform tonight at 7 p.m. in the Administration Auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door for $3.Dr. Cliff Ganus III, a professor of music and the choral director, emphasized the originality and fresh quality of the group.”It’s a nice clean sound,” Ganus said. “They bring an authentic approach to the music.”Founded in 2003, Octarium is based in Kansas City and is a nonprofit group. The octet focuses on blending the members’ voices seamlessly to prove their ideal: “Eight Singers, One Voice.””It will be an engaging and personal presentation,” Ganus said.Ganus said the group is dedicating the first half of its performance to traditional and classical pieces of choral music. The group will perform “Ubi Caritas,” which was composed by Harding alumnus Douglas Helvering. After the intermission, the group will shift its focus to contemporary pieces. A few of their songs are a capella arrangements from artists such as Billy Joel and the Beatles.Octarium is also holding a complimentary vocal workshop in the Recital Hall of the Reynolds center at 4 p.m. this afternoon. The song the members will teach is “Alleluia” by Randall Thompson. Ganus said one of the central components of Octarium’s mission is the education of music.Octarium’s education programs include workshops and lectures designed for age groups from kindergarten to college. The recordings the group has produced also emphasize both the appreciation and education of classical music.Since 2006, Octarium has released four recordings. The group also focuses on two touring programs. “Saints and Angels” specializes in the presentation of sacred choral music, and “Should Have Been Choral” focuses instead on a cappella arrangements of secular songs.Harding University’s Classical Lyceum Series has promoted and hosted musical ensembles on campus for more than 50 years. The group is supported both by the series and also by the Mid-America Arts Alliance, which sponsors performances and exhibitions in museums, arts centers and college campuses.
