The East Central University Singers will perform portions of Franz Schubert’s Mass in E flat (No. 6), and the select University Chorale will perform selections from its spring tour at 7:30 p.m. Monday [APRIL 23] in a concert at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Dr. Steven Walker, professor of music, will direct both groups in the free concert.
Donations will be accepted, however, to help support a special tour next year for the University Chorale which has an opportunity to perform in Washington, D.C. Checks should payable to “University Chorale.”
Schubert’s final mass, composed in 1828, the last year of his life, is characterized by extreme contrasts of emotion and reflects the approaching mature romantic style. His approach to the text is less liturgical and subjective, and there is a darkness not found in his earlier works.
The ECU Singers also will perform Moses Hogan’s arrangement of “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord,” a lively setting of a traditional spiritual that is sung deliberately at first with deep conviction and ends with a lively call and answer between the tenors and the rest of the choir. Hogan, who died in 2003, probably was best known for his performance group, The Moses Hogan Chorale, based in New Orleans.
The University Chorale, which performed recently in high schools in Oklahoma and Arkansas, will open with “The Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre. He originally wrote it for a major motion picture company that planned to produce an animated film based on Kipling’s “The White Seal,” which opens with the mother seal singing a lullaby to her pup.
Next will be two pieces by Johannes Brahms. “Verlorene Jugend” (“Lost Youth”) is based on a Slovak folk poem that talks of someone pondering the impossibility of returning to one’s younger years. The piece is the fourth in a set of five titled “Fünf Gesänge” and is considered to be the most boisterous of the set. Composed in 1888, the set is thought to be Brahms’ most mature and serious work.
Brahms’ “O Süßer Mai” is a brief but highly evocative and harmonically rich setting of a romantic poem translated to “O Sweet May.” The piece is the third in a set of five. It was Brahms’ first secular set in 10 years when it was composed in 1884.
Many of the students perform in both choral groups.
Sopranos are Emily Anderson, Sarah Barnes, Jessy Beasley, JamieLee Beuchat, Danna Borntrager, Hunter Braly, Angie Brunk, Mari Ann Buretta, Krista Cassell, Jordan Clark, Lauren Cox, Victoria Davison, Kelsey Dial, Kristina Elgin, Morgan Harper, Chloe Henry, Micah Hobday, Laura Knight, Naomi Long, Marissa Metz, Kelsey Molina, Jesslyn Richards, Abigail Seal, Kelsie Self, Renee Sheppard, Ashlie Simpson, Chalie Smith, Myranda Spencer, Sheena Stallings, Kristin Stecklein, Aaron Steinman, Amie BreAnne Stotler, Ashley Tucker and Kayla Williams.
Altos are Laci Barringer, Elizabeth Blanchard, Sarah Burrows, Catie Caton, Cheryl Cochran, Jordan Douglas, Keeli Fisher, Megan Galbreaith, Tabitha Heaton, Jacie Hutcherson, Casey Long, Beverly Madden, Kalyn Marker, Claire Marquardt, Debrah Morrison, Ashley Overman, Kelsie Pletcher, Amanda Rigney, Amber Simpson, Shay Standingwater, Meg Stewart and Meleah Underwood.
Tenors are Caleb Bonar, Zach Champaigne, Josh Coats, Ryan Codopony, Kevin Gottman, Dustin Hawkins, Daniel Lewis, Chris Mayhew, Joseph McClellan, Andrew Reeves, Billy Snead, John Stone, Matt Tidmore and Bryan Young.
Basses are Mark Atteberry, Phillip Berryhill, Andrew Brady, Ryan Chandler, Evan Clay, Justin Cody, Nick Geisler, Kaleb Gordon, Stephen McCleskey, Jericho Morton, Jordan Myers, Clint Prucha, William Rauch, Nate Sheeley, Nathan Steinman, Jacob Stevens, Clayton Sullivan, Jackie Switzer, Stephen Timperley, James Williamson and Michael Woodall.