WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., April 21, 2016 — West Liberty University College Community Chorus and the WLU Singers will perform a special spring concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 1 at Vance Presbyterian Church. Doors open at 2:15 p.m.
“This performance will be very special and include an orchestra, our wonderful Community Chorus and our WLU Singers performing beloved works by Johannes Brahms, Ludwig Van Beethoven and Benjamin Britten. The choir will also be performing Requiem for the Living by Dan Forest,” said Dr. Scott Glysson, the artistic director and director of all Choral Activities at WLU. The Requiem piece was part of the tour show that the WLU Singers performed during its recent Ireland tour in March.
Benjamin Britten’s Te Deum in C Major was his first ever published composition. Originally composed for organ and choir in 1934, he re-orchestrated the work one year later for strings and harp (featured at this concert).
“The Schicksalslied by Johannes Brahms is, perhaps, some of the most beautiful 12 minutes of music ever composed,” Glysson added. Set to text by the poet Friedrich Holderlin, the work beautifully depicts humankind’s struggle with “fate.”
The finale of the concert will be Ludwig Van Beethoven’s masterpiece, Choral Fantasy. The work was conceived of as a piano concerto with choir and soloists. It will feature WLU accompanist John Rose as the piano soloist.
The concert also will feature West Liberty University’s premier vocal ensemble, the WLU Singers. They will perform Leonard Bernstein’s beloved Chichester Psalms with orchestra and boy soprano soloist, Liam McCarthy, who sings with the Pittsburgh Children’s Chorus.
The community choir meets at Vance Presbyterian Church and has grown over its inaugural year to include more than 100 voices.
Glysson also is an assistant professor of music at West Liberty University. Many of his students are part of the community chorus. The community group also includes local high school students, music teachers and members of the community to who like to sing. Faculty adjunct Deborah Breiding accompanies the group.
Admission prices are $15 for general admission and $5 for children (age 3 – 12) and students with ID. Please visit collegecommunitychoir.brownpapertickets.com to purchase tickets. For more information, please contact Glysson at 304-336-8090 or email him at scott.glysson@westliberty.edu.