Two Muskegon Community College vocal groups, the Collegiates and the College Singers, will perform on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. at the Frauenthal Center in downtown Muskegon. Tickets are $7 for the general public and $2 for students.
Directed by Nicholas Palmer, the College Singers will perform six selections. Following a brief intermission, the Collegiates, directed by Dr. Richard Rischar, will perform three pieces.
The College Singers’ selections are:
- “Gabriel’s Oboe” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. The famous theme from the motion picture The Mission.
- “To The First of My Lovers” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. The piece was written by Sydney Carter, a British poet, songwriter and folk musician best known for his iconic song “Lord of the Dance.”
- “Gitanjali Chants” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. An ethereal setting of verses by the poet Rabindranath Tagore creates a mesmerizing effect with music that is both ancient and modern.
- “Let The River Run” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. The song, with music and lyrics by Carly Simon, was first featured in the 1988 film Working Girl and won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
- “Adoramus te, Christe” by Claudio Monteverdi. A lovely choral piece produced during the 1620s as part of Monteverdi’s duties at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice to provide new music annually for the festival of the Holy Cross.
- “Vespro della Beata Vergine” by Claudio Monteverdi. In honor of Monteverdi’s birth 450 years ago, the College Singers present one of his most famous works, which is considered one of the musical monuments that begin the Baroque period in music history. This bold piece sounds surprisingly like modern minimalism.
The Collegiates’ set is an introduction to this recently formed group and is keyed to the 2017 Muskegon Area Arts and Humanities Festival (ahfest) theme of WATER:
- “Down to the River to Pray” traditional, arranged by the Collegiates and Sheldon Curry. From the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou, this version of the Appalachian-flavored spiritual is a genuine, heartfelt plea for prayer.
- “Here’s That Rainy Day” arranged by Andrew Grobengieser. The popular song, with music by Jimmy Van Husen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, was published in 1953 and became popular with jazz/pop singers like Frank Sinatra.
- “Just as the Tide Was Flowing” arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams. A British folk song whose beautiful melody and equally alluring lyrics surreptitiously cross genres. The arrangement here by classical composer Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of his Five English Folk Songs (1913).
For more information, contact the MCC Arts and Humanities Department at (231) 777-0324.