This past weekend, North Dakota State students and faculty revived the Baroque era at this year’s annual Baroque Festival, held at Peace Lutheran Church.

The Baroque era of western music lasted from approximately 1600 to 1750 and preceded the Classical era. Baroque music is known for its complexity and nuance and had a considerable influence on subsequent western music.

Preeminent Baroque composers included Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and George Frideric Handel (1685-1759).

Saturday evening’s student concert featured 13 performances. Notable compositions included “Sonata in G Minor” and “Mein Glaubiges Herze” by J.S. Bach and “Return, O God of Hosts!” by G.F. Handel (1685-1759). Members of both the Baroque Festival Orchestra and the Gold Star Saxophone Quartet participated in Saturday’s concert. Additionally, eight of the 13 performances featured student vocalists.

The festival concluded with a faculty concert on Sunday afternoon. The program featured eight performances, including renditions of “Sonata Number 1” by Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709) and “Endlich, endlich wird mein Joch” by J.S. Bach. Several Challey School of Music faculty members and two students, one undergraduate and one graduate, participated in Sunday’s program.

If you missed this year’s festivities, the Baroque Festival Orchestra will perform in this year’s NDSU opera, “The Marriage of Figaro.” Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 and 2:00 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19.

For ticket information, visit the NDSU Performing Arts website, www.ndsu.edu/performingarts.