Hunter Conservatory hosted the annual Kaleidoscope Concert on Sunday, November 4. The concert was a unique experience to attend – one deserving of reflection, commendation of the performers and sharing with those who could not make it.

The inside of the conservatory was arranged in a peculiar way: the seats were divided into two groups that faced each other, creating a corridor that leads to a hall with a piano. All the levels of the conservatory were illuminated by fairy lights of different colors. There were orange, purple, yellow and red sections, as well as some others. The fairy lights were the only source of light, and their dimness added to the atmosphere of the concert about to be revealed.

The leitmotif of the whole one-hour performance was a guitar part that was dreamy in nature and created a sort of vibe from Radiohead’s “Videotape”. Notwithstanding this comparison, the melody was very soothing and one could see how the audience was getting more and more sleepy.

These unintentional attempts of the listeners’ organisms to fall asleep would be interrupted by percussion parts that would erupt on the second level of the conservatory. The percussionists were well coordinated and even included some animalistic sounds and screams. This maneuver added to the whole mysterious mood of the performance.

Furthermore, the Whitman choir, as well as the Walla Walla Community College choir, also performed at the Kaleidoscope Concert. Their dark clothes and synchronized movements worked as a complementary part to their singing. Another remarkable detail that stroke the audience was a synthesizer solo part that was performed at the top level of the conservatory.

Another significant part of the concert was a violin solo, which was performed inside the music hall. Therefore, it could not be seen by most of the audience who were all located in the corridor. The music was flowing into the audience, and the fact that the musicians were located in a different room created a peculiar acoustic effect. This artistic decision was rather significant for the performance because people could concentrate solely on the music and not on the musician, which allowed for a broader auditory experience, as the visual aspect of the performance was hidden from the listeners.

Between all the parts of the concert, the two guitars kept on playing that monotonous yet beautiful melody that brought the audience to a state of trance and detachment from the real world. Once the composition was over, the listeners did not hurry to leave their seats and applaud because there was a sense of continuation of the piece, some sort of desire to stay in Hunter for some more time.

The Kaleidoscope Concert of this year was truly a significant experience for performers and audience members alike, with all seeming to enjoy the music and the mood of the evening.