Music at Eckerd

Eckerd College invites all students to participate in music, ranging from the beginner and enlightened amateur to the music major and trained musician. Everyone has the opportunity to participate in the Concert Choir, Eckerd Ringers, small vocal and instrumental ensembles, private music instruction, and a wide range of music courses. The Eckerd Concert Choir and Eckerd Ringers have an intensive concert schedule and performs in local, national and international venues.

The Eckerd Concert Choir

The Eckerd Concert Choir is open to the vocal amateur as well as the music major and performs on and off campus and tours each spring. One of the goals of the choir is to provide each singer a complete musical experience within the framework of a liberal arts education. The choir is well known in the Tampa Bay Area for its annual Madrigal Dinners, a Victorian style celebration that ushers in the holiday season. The dinners celebrated their 16th presentation in 2003. The choir often joins with other local choral organizations for the performance of large choral works with professional soloists and orchestra. In the spring of 2003, the choir made its first international tour of England with performances in Oxford, York, Canterbury and London.

The Eckerd Ringers

Formed in 1990, The Eckerd Ringers is an ensemble of twelve ringers. Membership is open to all students. The Eckerd Ringers play on five octaves of Schulmerich handbells and five octaves of Suzuki handchimes. The Eckerd Ringers play a wide variety of music ranging from arrangements of familiar hymn tunes and other well known works to original compositions written especially for bells and chimes. In December 2003 they were featured on the annual Eckerd Christmas Celebration program where they performed two pieces for bells and orchestra. The Eckerd Ringers appear in concert with the Concert Choir throughout the academic year and also participated in the Tour of England 2003.

Study and Enjoyment

Courses in music literature, music theory and interdisciplinary arts are open to all students, as are private lessons on most instruments and voice.