Small pieces of art laid together create a mosaic.
In the same regard, Penn State's School of Music will create its own artistic masterpiece this weekend.
"Mosaic: A Sonic and Visual Spectacular" will be performed at 4 p.m. on Sunday in Eisenhower Auditorium for the sixth year, in accordance with the Center for the Performing Arts.
"Mosaic" will feature a collection of Penn State bands, choirs, orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists all involved in the School of Music in some capacity.
School of Music Director Sue Haug promises the 90-minute presentation is unlike anything viewers have ever seen.
There are hundreds of students involved in this production, including a great deal of music majors, though the show is not restricted to just that, she said.
Students involved auditioned in order to participate and were accepted based on the audition results, Haug said.
Haug, who has been going to the yearly performance for some time, said that she wouldn't miss it.
"It's my favorite event of the year," she said.
The show will be unlike anything else students would ever have a chance to go to, in part because of the sheer number of people involved, but also the huge variety of music showcased, Haug said.
"Mosaic" is a remarkable show, which begins with "a fanfare, bold opening" but moves so quickly from one performance to the next, she said.
Haug described the show as a performance where one minute, someone is singing in the balcony and the next a quartet is on the stage. No section is more than four to five minutes long, she said.
"The auditorium is in complete darkness besides who is performing. The audience has no idea who is next. They could be sitting next to you," Chris Kiver, an associate professor and director of choral activities, said.
Since the performance allows no spare time for applause, "when you finally can applaud, people just explode," Haug said.
Kiver called the fast-paced concert a "unique combination of aural and visual [elements]."
"Mosaic" contains a wide range of music, from solos to massive pieces of choral performances. With 200 performers on stage, Kiver said, it presents everything from renaissance music to jazz.
Though the show is its sixth year, the content varies from year to year. The show's performers are always different, as well as the lighting and placement, Kiver said.
"We try to keep the audience guessing," he said.
The show takes the whole semester to plan and students get to choose what to perform.
Lynn Drafall , a professor in the School of Music and also the conductor for the Oriana singers, said that it is a "big deal" for the students accepted into the show.
The show has no theme of music, she said. It is designed to showcase the very best performers in the school and what they can do.
"It highlights excellence," she said. "We really do make an effort to make the music as varied as possible...it's a completely comprehensive kind of a thing."
Kiver said that the show is certainly not black and white, nor is it simply students playing music.
"It's a great release from studying and exam pressure," he added.
Haug said he does not know of any event a student can go to that will be similar to this.
"It showcases the strength of students on campus," Haug said.
Tickets for the show are on sale online and through the Center for the Performing Arts ticketing locations. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students. But Haug urges those interested to buy tickets now. Those who purchase tickets by 5 p.m. today will save 20 percent off the ticket price.
