The West Liberty University Concert Choir, under the direction of Alfred R. de Jaager, will be touring three Northern European countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria this month. With nine scheduled performances, 36 WLU students will share musical works from Polish composer Grzegorz Gorczycki, Czech composer Ivan Hrusovsky, Austrian composer Anton Brukner, and experience the educational opportunities these countries have to offer ‘in concert’. Other composers to be featured include Stroope, Erb, Shaw, Scarlatti, Shank, Ginastera, Ticheli, Clausen, and Nystedt.
Performance locations include Mass and Concert at the Church of Saints Peter & Paul, in Krakow, Poland, on May 11; Concert at the International Monument, erected at the sight of the Krema III gas chamber, Auschwitz-Birkenau on May 12; Concert at Saint Nicholas Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic on May 14; attending Mass sung by the Vienna Boys Choir in the morning, and singing Mass and Concert at Saint Peterskirche, Vienna, Austria, on May 16; Concert at Melk Abbey, overlooking the Danube in lower Austria on May 17; and Concert at Pfarrkirche Basilica Saint Michael, on May 18.
Participating choir members include Michael Anderson, Pati Roxanne Brake, Ashley Carroll, Samuel Clark, Brendan Clegg, Alan Cline, Bethany Cogley, Kyle Cook, Jennifer Crow, M. Matthias Dotson, Renae Eikey, Megan Fliess, Karin Freese, Jesse Gagich, Shandra Goodfellow, Christopher Hardy, Christian Keener, Brittany Kimball, Kari Kolopajlo, Marc Landon, Tiffany Lee, Karissa Martin, Jaymie Matteson, Erin Mazzocca, Jessica Mead, Mitchell Moon, Laura Mullins, Bryce Negie, Kevin O’Brien, Alex (Lois) Perkins, Jonathan Renforth, Kayla Saunders, Jessica Strader, Melissa Thomas, Kassidy Wells, and Nicole Williamson.
For some members of the Choir, this will be their second overseas trip. In May 2007, 33 students from de Jaager’s choir program toured Italy with performances in Verona, Venice, Ravenna, Rome, and a pinnacle performance in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, where they sang at a Mass with thousands in attendance.
Contributions to the tour may be made via check to the West Liberty University Foundation, CSC 122, P.O. Box 295, West Liberty, WV 26074. Please write, “choir trip” on the memo line. For more information, please contact Alfred R. de Jaager at (304) 336-8090.