SAI Hosts Benefit Recital for YWCA Safe Home
By Kenzie Smith, Staff Writer
Students Performing in the Sigma Alpha Iota Benefit Recital (Photo Kenzie Smith/The Gettysburgian)
On Friday, “Songs of Support: A Sigma Alpha Iota Benefit Recital” was held in Paul Recital Hall from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. This recital was organized by Sigma Alpha Iota, and included various student performers and groups. The recital featured solely works by female composers.
Proceeds from this event were donated to the YWCA Safe Home in Adams County. YWCA Safe Homes provide services to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. Following the event, Sigma Alpha Iota planned to continue accepting both monetary and material donations for the YWCA.
“We’re going to keep collecting donations for…the next week, so that anyone who might have wanted to put donations into the bins or send money but they didn’t have it [during the event, still has] the opportunity [to donate],” said Sigma Alpha Iota member Lily Newton ’23.
The benefit recital began with “Music is Our Call” composed by Amy Inman Barnes, sung by the Sigma Alpha Iota Members, and featuring Greer Garver ’25 on piano.
The next performer was Jacob Hunkins ’24 on trumpet. Hunkins performed the first and fourth movement of Catherin McMichael’s “Totem Voices.”
Delaney Mavica ’24 was next to take the stage, and she performed Amy Beach’s “Sous les Étoiles” on piano. After Mavica, Kelsey Hull ’25 performed Anna Bon’s “Sonata II” on flute.
Next, “Images de Norvege,” composed by Ida Gotkovsky, was performed by the duo Jason Cebulski ’24 and Sally Fetterman ’24 on the clarinet and piano respectively. Following the duet was Kate Borosky ’26 who performed Cécile Chaminade’s “Capriccio Op. 18” on violin. After Borosky, Athena Komitas ’26 performed Clara Schumann’s “Impromptu No. 17” on piano.
Then, the acapella group Four Scores took the stage. They performed “Love You for a Long Time,” composed by Maggie Rogers, featuring a solo by Adrianna Ashcraft ’26 and “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” composed by Caroline Polachek and featuring a solo by Kaiya Lasher ’26.
Erica Messinger ’24 performed Katherine Hoover’s “Kokopeli” on flute next. After Messinger, Garver once again took stage to perform Lili Boulanger’s “Trois morceaux pour piano.”
The final performance of the night was Audeamus Upper Voices Choir directed by Robert Natter. Audeamus performed “Today this Spring” composed by Libby Larsen and “Hope Lingers On” composed by Lissa Schneckenburger and arranged by Andrea Ramsey.
Attendees, such as Isaac Master ’25, enjoyed watching the performers at the recital.
“I really enjoyed the overall performance. Everyone really brought, I think, the passion into it,” Master said. “It showed the importance of the greater cause and benefit.”
Wilder Condori ’25, a member of Four Scores, spoke about the performance and the fundraising aspect of the recital.
“It was absolutely amazing. The people were so nice, and especially singing here at Schmucker makes us feel special in a room full of people wanting us to perform, and SAI has done a great job doing this fundraising for such a good cause,” Condori said.
Sigma Alpha Iota member Katy Elser ’24 was excited to tie her experience as a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major into the benefit concert.
“This has been really cool for me specifically because I’ve been working with Safe Home for my practicum for my WGS major as well as with SAI. So, I get to see what the donations are going to be used for, and it’s going to be a really cool thing. It’s going to help a lot of people,” Elser said.
Elser also stated that hopes this event can continue in the future. “I think it’s really cool, and it’s nice that we have the opportunity to feature women composers as well. And then hopefully we’re going to do it again next year,” Elser said.
