Decades Later and I am Still a Lover of Choral Music!

For a lover of choral music (which if you haven't guessed by now, I am) directing music by Purcell, Bach, and Vivaldi is a dream! As you probably know, my doctorate and master degree are both in choral conducting so the idea that I would be a lover of choral music comes as no real surprise! Nevertheless, I feel compelled to "wax poetic" about our performance last night. I am reminded of how blessed I am to work with these dedicated singers.

The UC Singers is a diverse group and yet they are able to come together as one beautiful voice. I love their youthful enthusiasm (most of the time, lol) and their boundless energy. Harmony, because of their size, is such an intimate group.  They balance so well and are quick. And although they are a "high spirited" bunch, they still get the work done! The Regional Chorus is also a diverse group.  All I can say is that my Tuesday nights have never been the same since working with them!!  They are dedicated, talented, and funny!

All the music presented at this Spring Concert was from the Baroque Era. There is such a wealth of great repertoire from this era and to be able to expose my students to these great composers is a joy! Yes, learning the music took hard work -- very hard work. And learning to sing in German and Latin was also a challenge for many. At first some singers might have doubted they could handle the German. However, their diction was very good; all the reciting of the text over and over paid off!

A big thank you to Candy Wood who sang a very challenging solo very well! Candy and Dee Crescitelli also did an outstanding job on "Domini Deus." Alex Estes, Olivia Brock, and Elizabeth Reese sang the ever popular "Laudamus Te" with precision and musicality.

It was also a very special night for Chris Adams, Olivia Brock, Stephanie Cagle, Ashley Shipley, and Cortni Thrasher who were honored and recognized for their many years of dedication to the UC Choral Program. I will miss them next year! (Btw, thanks so much for the flowers!)

Finally, I want to thank those of you who came to the concert and supported these outstanding choirs. As you looked at the choirs from your seats you saw your students, friends, and/or perhaps colleagues amongst the singers -- and they saw you too!

Blessings......

The Chapel was filled with singing......

Today there was a choral festival held in the chapel of Union College. I was happy to be one of the adjudicators for the festival once again this year. There were High School, Middle School, and Elementary School choirs "competing" for a ranking of Distinguished, Proficient, etc... . Some of the schools that participated include choirs from McCreary County, Knox Central, Harlan County, Bell County, Williamsburg, and Somerset.

It was great having these young people on campus and to hear choirs from our region perform some very fine choral literature. We are so fortunate to have such an incredible performing space on our campus.  The resonance in Conway Boatman Chapel is superb for singing and unique to southeast Kentucky. I feel blessed to have my own choirs perform in this space year in and year out. (Don't tell anyone, but one of the reasons I was drawn to Union College was because of the chapel -- its beauty, resonance, and the very fine pipe organ it houses)

In closing, please put the upcoming Spring Concert on your calendar.  The UC Singers, Union Harmony, and the UC Regional Chorus will sing music by Vivaldi, Bach, and Purcell on Thursday, April 19th at 8:00 p.m. in Conway Boatman Chapel.  As always, the concert is free and open to the public.

Blessings........

Excerpt from Voice of Faith Magazine Article/ Plus a Reminder About Upcoming Spring 2012 Choral Concerts!

Please find below an excerpt from an article I wrote for the Voice of Faith magazine last year:

"Located in Barbourville, Kentucky, Union College is a small liberal arts college nestled in the rolling hills of Knox County. Union, a college of the United Methodist Church, offers twenty nine majors on a beautiful campus in the heart of Appalachia. It has been my great privilege to teach music at Union for the past nine years. One of the highlights of my job is directing the Union College Singers, Union Harmony, and the UC Regional Chorus. At the risk of waxing poetic, there is nothing like the art of choral music. Where else does one have the pleasure of being part of an ¬¬art form that weds well written texts and beautiful melodies and harmonies? I am blessed to work in a field that I not only love, but to which I feel called.

The Union College Singers is an ensemble whose membership includes any student who wishes to sing, while Union Harmony is an auditioned group of eight singers. The UC Regional Chorus is predominantly a community based choir whose membership includes singers from Barbourville and other surrounding towns and communities, as well as, Union College faculty, staff, and students. Two very fine pianists accompany the UC choirs. Kathy Smith of Barbourville accompanies the UC Singers and Union Harmony, while Danny Phelps of London serves as the accompanist for the Regional Chorus."

The two major performances this spring are the Valentine Concert on Feb. 14th at 8:00 p.m. in Conway Boatman Chapel and the Spring Concert on April 19th at 8:00 p.m. also in the Chapel. If you would like to know more about Union's Choral Program, please give my a call, send an email, or stop by my office.

Blessings....

Short Video Clip of the Union College Choral Program, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please enjoy this short video clip featuring the Union College Singers, Union Harmony, and the UC Regional Chorus. 2011 has been a great year for our choral program -- I am looking forward to our first concert of 2012 on Valentine's Day.

Blessings......

I Was Blogging and Found

Sixth Post in the Series

"Thoughts on Love and Care"

I first came across this link on http://www.challies.com/. I don't know what I could possibly add......please view the short clip below. 

Sola Gratia

Fall 2011 UC Singers & Harmony Pics!!

I took the opportunity to take some pictures of the Union College Singers and Union Harmony a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share them here with you. There were a few members from the Singers who were absent and therefore not present in the pictures, however, all members of Harmony are present.

Two pictures of the Singers were taken from the "window" in my office that looks down into the chapel. One pic was taken from floor level in the chapel. Harmony pics were taken at the Gazebo on the front lawn of Union College.

Enjoy the pictures and don't forget to put the December 3rd Christmas Festival Concert on your calendar. The concert is at 8:00 p.m. in Conway Boatman Chapel. More details about the Christmas Festival are forthcoming.  Sola Gratia.....

The Beauty and Power of Hymns: Opus 5

This is the fifth post in a quasi regular series about hymn tunes, lyrics, sources, etc....

This semester Union Harmony is singing a beautiful piece entitled "Abide with Me" which is based on the hymn of the same name. The lyrics were penned by Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847) and the tune composed by William H. Monk (1823-1889). The tune is known as "Eventide" and is lyrical and flowing in nature.  The text takes its inspiration from Luke 24:29 which reads -- But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. (NIV)

Connie Ruth Christiansen (http://www.sharefaith.com/) says this about the writing of this hymn -  "In 1844, Henry was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Over the next three years his physical condition deteriorated until finally on September 4, 1847, at the age of 54, he stood in the pulpit for the last time to deliver his farewell message.

That same afternoon, after taking a walk on the beach, Henry retired to his room. He emerged about an hour later with a written copy of Abide With Me. He left soon after for a trip to Italy, to get away from the cold, damp coastal weather. While en route to his destination, he mailed a revised copy of Abide With Me to his wife. A few days later while resting in a hotel on the French Riviera, Henry went home to be with Jesus."

Jack Schrader's arrangement begins with the opening lines of the hymn -- Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!  It is a moving text that has been utilized by numerous composers through the years; however, I find this arrangement to be most moving and appealing. Schrader set verses 1, 3, and 5 and weaves between unison singing and SATB divisi. In reading the background to the writing of this hymn it appears that the ocean was ever present in Henry's life. Likewise, it is interesting to note that much of the opening accompaniment of Schraders' arrangement contains a "rolling" triplet motion.  It is as if the sea is musically being depicted -- a technique akin to wordpainting.  As I was working on this piece with my choir, I noticed this wavelike motion and wondered if this musical allusion to the sea was intentional.  I cannot know if Jack Schrader new the background of this hymn, although my educated guess (after reading the background myself) would be yes, he did.

Fellow choral musicians -- I highly recommend this piece. It is published by Hope Publishing and you can listen to a performance of this arrangement at J.W. Pepper dot com.  Type Abide with Me Schrader (without quotes) into the keyword box - once the page loads simply "click" to play a recording.

As mentioned above, this arrangement utilizes verses 1, 3, and 5; however, please find the complete hymn text below.  Enjoy and Sola Gratia!

Abide With Me


Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.


I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.


I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.


Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

(from: http://www.sharefaith.com/)