Hillsdale College Choir and Chamber Choir Perform Fall Parents Weekend Concert
Works performed included “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine” by Eric Whitacre and Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.”
HILLSDALE, Mich. — The Hillsdale College Choir and Chamber Choir performed their annual fall concert in Christ Chapel during Parents Weekend on Nov. 2. Hillsdale College faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends attended the concert, which featured works in Hebrew, English, and Italian.
“This concert was a special opportunity for choir parents to watch their students perform,” said James A. Holleman, music director of orchestras and choirs. “It was a joy to welcome them, and we hope they enjoyed the concert as much as we did.”
“The choir brilliantly conveyed both the beauty and the eternal hope expressed in these works.”
The combined choirs opened with Dan Forrest’s “A Prayer Before Singing,” conducted by senior Ethan Graham, and seniors Emily Griffiths, Fiona Mulley, and Phoebe Vanheyningen performed the national anthem. The chamber choir then performed several works, including “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ivo Antognini and “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine” by contemporary composer Eric Whitacre. The piece, which blends English and Italian lyrics sung mostly a cappella, portrays Leonardo da Vinci tormented and captivated by dreams of flight.
“All of Whitaker’s pieces are harmonically difficult, but this one is rhythmically difficult as well,” Holleman said. “I am proud of the effort our students put into the rehearsals, and their performance was spectacular.”
The College Choir performed Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” which combine selected texts from the Book of Psalms sung in the original Hebrew. The choir was accompanied by senior Magdalena Shaltanis, harp; junior John Frenz, percussion; and Associate Professor of Music Derek Stauff, organ.
The choir also sang “To the New Jerusalem” by William Walker and “The Promise of Living,” from “The Tender Land” by Aaron Copland, accompanied by senior Henry Hansen and staff accompanist Thomas Ryskamp, piano.
“This concert season has focused on sacred classics, and the choir brilliantly conveyed both the beauty and the eternal hope expressed in these works,” Holleman said. “It was a pleasure to direct them and a joy to share these pieces with the College, the community, and our students’ families.”
The Hillsdale College Choir is a mixed choral ensemble open to all Hillsdale College students, and the Chamber Choir is selected by audition from the College Choir. More than a quarter of Hillsdale’s student body participates in one of the College’s music ensembles.
For photos from the concert, click here. For recordings of Hillsdale College music performances, click here. For photos from previous performances in Christ Chapel, click here. For photos of Christ Chapel, click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here.
For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.