The Online Reflector

Beta Psi, the University of Indianapolis chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, held a benefit concert for Bears on Patrol on Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

According to its Web site, Mu Phi Epsilon is a co-educational, professional music fraternity whose mission is to advance music in the community, nation and throughout the world. It promotes musicianship, scholarship, therapy and education, with emphasis on service through music enhancement of loyalty to the Alma Mater and development of true bonds of friendship.

Bears on Patrol is a program at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department that provides teddy bears to children in crisis situations. This is an attempt to calm the children, help them feel comforted and ensure them that the policemen are there to help.

According to Director of Education and Outreach and Associate Professor of Music Rebecca Sorley, this is the fourth charity performance by members of Mu Phi Epsilon in the past two years. This time, the group selected the charity Bears on Patrol.

The music department’s goal for the concert was to raise enough money for 100 bears. The recommended donation at the door was $7, the price of one bear.

The concert began with a percussion ensemble playing “Cross Corners” by George Hamilton Green, featuring Mack LaMont with a solo on the xylophone.

The second piece was “O Mon Bel Inconnu,” which translates into “Oh My Handsome Unknown One.” Before the song, one of the performers explained that this song comes from the musical comedy of the same name by Reynaldo Hahn. In the show, a man in his 50s wants to prove that even at his age, he can have an affair, so he puts a personal ad in the paper.

Three women respond—his maid, his wife and his daughter. The song “O Mon Bel Inconnu” comes at a point in the show when the three women sing of the unknown man whom they love, even though they have not yet met. The three parts were sung by students senior Caitlin Deranek and junior Maddison Swinney and Instructor of Music Mitzi Westra, Sorley was featured on piano.

The composition that followed was one from Bach: the third movement of the Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor.

“The third movement of this particular concerto is so intricate, with the interwoven violin lines playing off of each other, that it just catches my ear every time I hear it,” said sophomore Bethany Walters, one of the concerto’s violin players. “I love playing it, and I love listening to it. It’s just something that has to be shared.”

Following the violins was “Five Hebrew Love Songs,” sung by sophomore Laura Morgan, featuring Ariana Kim, assistant professor of music, on violin and Sorley on piano.

After the “Five Hebrew Love Songs” had finished, the piano duos began. Each piano duo featured one student and one faculty member, each at a separate piano, playing selections from Gershwin, Percy Grainger, Eugenie Rocherolle and others. In the piano duos, each pianist had a separate piece to play, although the pieces came together to complement each other.

The songs chosen for the performance were selected by the performers themselves.

“We decided to make this a faculty/student collaboration, so all pieces except the opening percussion ensemble included at least one faculty member,” Sorley said. “Students approached faculty to see if they were available to perform on the evening of the concert, and together they decided the repertoire to use for the performance.”

For Walters, who is also the Beta Psi treasurer, the decision of which composition to pick came easily.

“When [Beta Psi’s] president told me about the idea of a benefit concert, the first thing that came to my mind was the “Bach Double Violin Concerto,” she said. “I’ve played this piece many times with other students, and it is always so fun to perform.”

Beta Psi will continue to accept donations for Bears on Patrol until Feb. 11. Those who would like to donate may send cash to the music department designated for Bears on Patrol,”or write a check made out to the University of Indianapolis.