Choir & Orchestra Bless Students with Bach & Mozart Thanksgiving Concert

The celebration of Thanksgiving began early on the California campus when students gathered last Friday night for a Thanksgiving Concert, courtesy of the Thomas Aquinas College Choir and Orchestra. Conducted by Daniel Grimm (’76), the performance featured Bach’s Cantata 140 and Mozart’s “Coronation Mass.”

Students, faculty, and family filled St. Cecilia Hall’s Fritz B. Burns Auditorium for the highly anticipated event. The players began with Bach, full of masterful instrumentation, duets, and choral bits that put the auditorium into an uplifting, contemplative state. Following a brief intermission, Mozart’s music filled the space. Sudden crescendos and brilliant arrangements contrasted with Bach’s pieces, yet each shared in beauty in their own ways.

The music concluded to thunderous applause, and audience and performers alike gathered in the foyer for post-concert refreshments. “It’s great to see that TAC students are not just skilled academics but also skilled musicians,” commented Sophia Colarelli (’24). Nick Deering (’26) spoke of the high nature of the music, saying, “I thought it was beautiful, and the whole performance oriented me toward God.”