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College Choir Presents March Concerts in Western NY
HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Houghton College Choir will be holding two free concerts in the western New York area this month. The choir will perform in both Rochester and Olean. The concerts will be held:
March 19 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Rochester, NY
March 20 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in Olean, NY
Conducted by Dr. Brandon Johnson, the Houghton College Choir is made up of sixty students. The theme of the performances, “Earth to Heaven…Heaven on earth” focuses on two questions: How will we meet God, and how does God meet us? The concerts will consist of spirituals and hymn arrangements, including pieces by J.S. Bach, Eric Whitacre, Alice Parker, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sergei Rachmaninov. The majority of the pieces will be sung a cappella, with the Houghton College String Quartet string orchestra accompanying the vocalists at various times during the program. “The ensemble seeks to bring its listeners closer to the presence of God through an exceptional commitment to choral artistry,” Johnson stated.
“Just like our worship at Houghton, this program seeks to celebrate the range of ways that God has been glorified through music in all times and places,” President Shirley Mullen commented. “Some of the music will be familiar. Some will perhaps stretch your categories of sound and beauty. In all of the music, we trust that the audience will be invited to make space for God’s creative and renewing presence.”
The College Choir is composed of both music majors and non-music majors. Graduate student Christopher Aitken will assist Johnson with conducting duties. This two-concert series will kick-off a multi-city tour along the eastern seaboard and into Canada from April 1 – 11, 2010. The choir has previously traveled throughout the eastern United States, including performing at the Lincoln Center in New York City, and throughout Europe, traveling to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.
For more information on the College Choir or to view this spring’s tour destinations, visit the Houghton College website at www.houghton.edu.
