On September 8, the Department of Music at Changwon National University held its 40th freshmen concert at the concert hall (No. 61) of Changwon National University. The concert is usually held every spring, but this year it was held in autumn due to COVID-19. In order to comply with the COVID-19 preventive regulations, audience members were limited to two per player. Instead, a video of the performance was uploaded on YouTube so anyone could watch it. The Department of Music chose the players for the performance by auditioning 10 students out of a total of 38 freshmen.

▲ Park Se-hyun, who plays “Military Polonaise”

Since the concert is usually held in spring, most freshmen usually performed the songs that they played for the entrance exam. However, since this year the performance was postponed until fall, Park Se-hyun, who majors in piano, decided to play a new song. She performed Chopin's “Military Polonaise”. It’s a piece that brings out military sentiments of bravery and vigor. Park Se-hyun chose this song to make a strong impression in a limited performance time.

"It was difficult to practice alone for two months because of COVID-19, and I made a lot of mistakes. However, I am proud of myself after the performance I gave, and I hope I will have more chances to perform on stage in the future,” said Park Se-hyeon.

▲ Seol In-ho, who sings “On the Hill”

Seol In-ho, a baritone vocal major, started vocal lessons when he was a junior in middle school. He was impressed by “Nella Fantasia” sung by Choi Sung-bong, who appeared on the TV show, "Korea's Got Talent". This inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming a vocalist. Vocalists are divided into tenor, baritone, and bass according to the vocal range of the singer. Seol In-ho is a baritone singer, which is between tenor and bass. He can sing the deep tones of the bass and the melodic tones of the tenor.
He performed "On the Hill", composed by Kim Won-ho, and "Vaghissima Sembianza" by S. Donaudy. "On the Hill" is about moving forward beyond a hill, and "Vaghissima Sembianza" translates to “A Very Vague Semblance”.
Seol In-ho said, "My motto is 'don’t regret your decisions'. I actually quit vocal music and prepared for UDT(Underwater Demolition Team) when I was a freshman in high school. However, I thought that if I gave up vocal music, I would regret it. So I started singing again when I was a senior in high school. I still have no regrets about my choice to pursue vocal music. I also worked hard for two months for this concert so that I wouldn’t have any regrets for my performance, although I did make a few mistakes.”
The freshmen concert got rave reviews for being held with the appropriate precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of an audience, only the deep echo of music filled the concert hall, but the performances were still significant as they were the result of all the efforts made by the freshmen. The video of the concert is available at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0K6T_TfaFXmnf7n-q9ZeVvbwSjc3oNsc. Students of the Department of Music hope that students who are tired of social distancing can be moved and consoled by the concert. The music students also hold onto the hope that there will be various opportunities for students to participate and perform in the post-COVID era.

By Kim Da-eun, cub-reporter  daun021800@naver.com

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