The 2003 Concert Tour marks the 67th concert season of the A Capella Choir, and its fourth under the direction of Dr. Paul Weber, associate professor of church music and director of Lenoir-Rhyne’s Brass Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Christopher C. Nigrelli, assistant professor of low brass. Many students from these ensembles will be touring throughout Germany in May performing in some of Europe’s largest cathedrals.
In addition to the performance at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, the tour also includes performances in Concord; Blacksburg, Va.; Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; Columbia, S.C., and Hickory.
The A Capella Choir will begin each concert with “Sing, Ye Righteous” by Lodovico Viadana. The Brass Ensemble will then join the choir to perform Heinrich Schütz’s double choir motet, “Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe.” Following will come performances of Mandelssohn’s, “Verleih uns Frieden,” based on a prayer by Martin Luther; F. Melius Christiansen’s setting of the 1540 Lutheran chorale, “Lamb of God,” and the “Alleluia” from J.S. Bach’s Motet VI.
The centerpiece of the opening section will be four pieces from a large work titled “Southern Harmony” by North Carolina composer, William Duckworth. Duckworth was inspired by shape-note hymnody of an early American collection known as Southern Harmony and set 20 hymns in diverse and creative ways using a post-minimalistic compositional style. The choir will perform Duckworth’s versions of “Wonderful Love,” “War Department,” “Leander,” and “Turtle Dove.” William Duckworth will be the visiting composer to Lenoir-Rhyne College’s School of Fine Arts at the end of March.
The first section of the tour program will conclude with “So Much to Sing About” by Dr. Weber “E’en So, Lord Jesus” by Paul Manz; “Chichester Psalms III,” by Leonard Bernstein; and Daniel Pinkham’s setting of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” from his Christmas Cantata. The audience will be invited to join on Dr. Weber’s festival hymn setting.
The concluding choral section of the program will be selected from American hymns, songs and spirituals. Aaron Copland’s setting of the revival hymn, “Zion’s Walls,” will be accompanied by brass. Other songs include James Erb’s arrangement of “Shenandoah” and two African-American spirituals by William Dawson, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and “In His Care-O”; Kurt Bestor’s “Prayer of the Children,” set for male chorus; and Peter Wilhousky’s arrangement of “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Optional numbers on the program include Hans Leo Hassler’s “Dixit Maria”; and the old English blessing, “God Be in My Head,” by Hickory church musician, James Gossler.
Alumni of the A Cappella Choir will be invited forward to sing F. Melius Christiansen’s “O Day Full of Grace” near the conclusion of the program.
A free-will offering will be received at each concert to help defray tour expenses and to support the choir’s Germany tour. Copies of the latest A Cappella Choir CD, “O Day Full of Grace,” will be available. For further information on the tour, call (828) 328-7149.
