Tragedy and Comedy Shine in California Spring Choir Concert

In a grand display of romance both tragic and comic, the Thomas Aquinas College, California, Choir and Orchestra celebrated this year’s spring concert with two captivating opera performances: Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial by Jury. Director Daniel J. Grimm (’76) fittingly dubbed the concert, “Break-Ups Easy and Hard” — and left it to the viewers to determine which title fit which story.

The emotionally jarring Dido and Aeneas carried the audience through the whirlwind romance of Virgil’s epic protagonist, Aeneas, and Queen Dido, his lover, all the way to its heartbreakingly fatal end. Tragedy then gave way to comedy as the performance segued into Trial by Jury, an operetta depicting a lawsuit between a husband, the Defendant, and his wife, the Plaintiff, originally written to mock the British legal system. The steady stream of jokes, absurdities, and student talent prompted a standing ovation from the audience at the end of the night.

“It’s incredible to see how much hard work was poured into these musicals,” said Margaret Pinkerton (CA’28). “Both performances were so well done.”

Spring Concert photos

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