Choirs are comprised of individuals who come together to make one single unit. With that in mind, Sacramento State’s choirs will gather to perform their first concert of the fall season.

Sacramento State’s choir is performing its first concert of the fall season this Saturday evening at the Sacred Heart Church.

Sac State’s Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and the University Choir will present music that celebrates the lives of the deceased titled “Music For All Souls” on Nov. 1.

The highlight of the program features work of a requiem mass by French composer, Gabriel Fauré. This 40 minute work is a contrast of many different moods. This portion of the concert will be conducted by students Timothy Mascarinas and Lyndsay Barham.

Fauré has been described as the link between the Romanticism and modernist period during the middle of the 20th century. His work on the Requiem began in the mid-1880’s but wasn’t finalized until the 1900’s. The Requiem is the best known of his larger works.

Director of Choral Activities and conductor Donald Kendrick said, “It’s a piece that is extremely inspiring and at the same time very comforting,”

The choirs will also be accompanied by organist Ryan Enright.

Although the concert features three separate choirs, the final portion of the show is a mixture of the three combined.

“We get large crowds at our concerts usually; they do very well. People watch for our concerts because they know it’s going to be beautiful music sung in beautiful places,” Kendrick said.

Junior, music major and baritone Kevin Branson, 24, said because everyone either succeeds or fails together it is the most enriching thing he has ever done, but it comes with a challenge.

Although students feel a sense of community with each other, they also feel the frustration of trying to learn together as a group.

“You love it and you hate it all at the same time,” Branson said.

Graduate music major and conductor Mascarinas, 23, said Kendrick creates a community environment in his classroom even though students feel lonely at the beginning.

“Don creates is an environment where you don’t feel as lonely when you start singing because as a part of the choir you’re building a common goal. The sense of community becomes stronger when we learn the pieces together,” said Mascarinas

Another aspect that can affect the choir is something as simple as one’s state of mind.

“We always have to keep the positive energy even if we’re having a bad day because it really shows. Although it may not show on your face, it can affect your sound production and how you sing. Your singing may not be as focused and great as you would like it to be,” Mascarinas said.

Kendrick describes singing as being essential to human connection.

“We bring beauty to the world and someone’s got to do that. That’s a huge responsibility and we don’t take that lightly. There’s enough people bringing darkness and sadness to the world so we are the antidote; we bring beauty,” Kendrick said.

“Music For All Souls” begins at 8 p.m. this Saturday at the Sacred Heart Church.

Briana Swain can be reached at [email protected]