The final Hillsdale College concert choir of the year will feature a collaborative performance of “Lux Aeterna” by Morten Lauridsen, which incorporates aspects of the requiem text. The concert will additionally recognize the graduating seniors in their final concert.
They will perform on April 21 at 3 p.m. at College Baptist Church, performing a selection of a capella pieces sung by the Chamber and College Choirs.
“We are doing a major piece called “Lux Aeterna” by Morten Lauridsen, and there are a couple really awesome moments with that piece that have spots of clashing, almost dissonant sounds, and I really like that,” senior Sarah Delserone said.
The concert revolves around “Lux Aeterna,” in which both choirs will sing with Teacher of Music Debbi Wyse accompanying on the organ. Both the chamber and the college choirs will be performing six or seven a capella pieces as well.
“I think it’ll be a really good concert. The big choir has done really well this semester and the chamber choir performed last week in Holland, Mich., and eating and traveling together really helps bring the group together,” Professor of Music James Holleman said. “It’s also a lot different from playing just a part in a performance like Convocation, so it really solidifies the group. The chamber choir is peaking at the right time.”
Holleman commented that the choirs are even more prepared because they recorded several of the songs to be performed for the CD being released by the Music Department later in the year.
“We are also performing a couple of a capella pieces that we recorded for a patriotic CD that the Music Department is putting out, which is pretty awesome,” Delserone said. “It is exciting to do a couple of smaller pieces after “The Messiah” last semester, and it is exciting that we get to sing a variety of styles.”
Junior David Kreuger said the choir performed another piece by Lauridsen last year, so he is excited to sing one of his more extensive works.
“His stuff is really fun to sing and to hear all the parts of beauty really come together,” he said.
As the final concert of the year, the music department recognizes the graduating seniors in the choir, and the seniors in the orchestra will be recognized in their May concert.
“As seniors we have been getting emails saying to email Cheryl our information so Holleman can call us down and announce our futures to the world, and I am really excited about that,” Delserone said. “Professor Holleman has been really excited, and we lost a lot of people after “The Messiah” because people flock to it, but we kept a really good group, and we are in a really good position about it. And, of course, Debbi is awesome.”
tsawyer1@hillsdale.edu
