UTC Music Dept presents the UTC Chamber Singers and Chattanooga Singers
Kevin Ford, Director
Friday, April 17, 2009, 8:00 PM
Second Presbyterian Church
Press Release date: 3/24/09
On Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8:00 PM the UTC Music Department presents the UTC Chamber Singers and Chattanooga Singers directed by Dr. Kevin Ford. The concert will be held in the Second Presbyterian Church (700 Pine St., Chattanooga, 37402) and is open to the general public free of charge.
For this concert Dr. Ford has chosen to contrast early music with contemporary choral works and to take advantage of the newly renovated sanctuary at Second Presbyterian to perform several works that benefit from an antiphonal arrangement of the choirs. The Chamber Singers will perform some of the music from their recent recruitment tour to Memphis and both groups will reprise selections from the February 2009 Music Department Alumni Reunion concert.
Included on the program for the evening are several madrigals and motets representing the “Golden Age of A Cappella Choral Music”, the 1600-1700’s. Among these are Gibbon’s “Silver Swan”, Estes’ “How Merrily We Live”, Tallis’ “If Ye Love Me”, and Victoria’s “O Magnum Mysterium”. A unique piece among this set “Pastyme with Good Company” is believed to have been composed by England’s King Henry VIII. Parry’s magnificent double choir anthem “I Was Glad” brings us into the age of accompanied choral works.
Also on the program will be four master choruses from the great choral major works of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods: Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus”, the first movement of Vivaldi’s jubilant Gloria, the majestic “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah, and Mendelssohn’s soothing “He Watching over Israel” from Elijah.
The 20th and beginning of the 21st century have yielded many interesting and beautiful choral works. We hear two by American composers: Norman Dello Joio’s tour de force for piano and chorus, “A Jubilant Song” and David Dickau’s breathtaking setting of Sarah Teasdale’s poem “Stars I Shall Find.” Dr. Ford has a particular interest in the choral music of Eastern European composers and he presents it in two newer works: “Unicornis Captivatur” by Norwegian Ola Gjeilo” and “Benedictio” by Estonian Urmas Sisask. To close the concert the combined choirs perform Roland Carter’s triumphant arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Dr. Kevin Ford is the Director of Choral Activities at UTC. Johan Sentana is the accompanist for both groups. David Friberg will appear as guest organist for this concert. Graduate student Rebecca Brown will also conduct on the program.
For further information contact the UTC Music Department at 423-425-4601 or visit our website at http://utc.edu/music.
