The WKU Music Department is celebrating 20 years of a beloved concert series.

For two decades, the Prism Concert sought to display the passions of collegiate musicians while providing the audience with a unique experience. The concert combines various performers at WKU into one showcase.  

The concert compiled several ensembles within the department, including the Wind Ensemble Symphony, the WKU Chorale, the Steel Drum Band, the Red Shirts, the TrebleMakers, and the Jazz Ensemble. A total of 24 ensembles and soloists performed throughout the night.

The event in Van Meter Hall kicked off Friday night at 8 p.m. to a packed house. The diverse crowd consisted of WKU students and community members alike. The event was also open to the 421 high school students from Kentucky, Tennessee and southern Indiana who attended the 34^th WKU Honors Band Clinic over the weekend.

New to the Bowling Green community, Candida Cutrer and her daughter, Corina, attended the concert due to Corina’s excitement upon hearing of the event at school.

“[Corina] came home with the flier and said she really wanted to go tonight, so we made it here,” Cutrer said.

The pair said they would also like to attend next year’s concert when the time came.

Kristen Robertson, a junior from Greenville, came to support her boyfriend but was also excited to see all the different ensembles come together.

“[I’m looking forward to] seeing all the different groups in one concert because I don’t get the chance to go to everything, so it’s nice to be able to see most of it all at once,” she said.

The students performing in the concert began preparing for the event back in August, according to Scott Harris, the head of the Music Department.

“It is a great, eclectic showcase of everything we do,” Harris said. “One thing that is really unique is that we utilize the entire room. A number will be on stage, while some will be in the pit, and some will be in front of the curtain.”

The showcase had a bit of something for everyone and kept the audience engaged for the duration of the concert. Puns allowed for seamless transitions between performers. During one such interval, the audience was asked, “What do you call a documentary about trombones? A slide show!”

The audience even remained physically engaged as well. During the WKU Pep Band’s performance of “Cupid Shuffle,” the performers ran down the aisle and played facing the middle section of the auditorium. When the band finished the song, they immediately burst out into a rendition of the “WKU Fight Song” and got the audience clapping and on their feet.

In celebration of Prism Concert’s 20^th Anniversary, there will be an encore showing tonight. The performance starts at 8 p.m. in Van Meter Hall.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $7 with student IDs. Proceeds from the event contribute to the Department of Music’s scholarships.