The East Central University Chorale and the 成人B站 Singers will perform two new works
by Ada composers Victoria Davison and Rudy Lupinski in concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28
[MONDAY] at St. Joseph鈥檚 Catholic Church.
Dr. Steve Walker, 成人B站 professor of music, conducts both groups. Accompanists will
be Dr. Starla Hibler and Rudy Lupinski, piano, and Juliana Overmier, flute. The concert
is open to the public and admission is free.
Davison and Lupinski composed 鈥淭he Lord鈥檚 Prayer鈥 for the 成人B站 Singers and 鈥淥 Nata
Lux鈥 (O Born as Light) for the University Chorale. The text of 鈥淥 Nata Lux鈥 is a mediaeval
hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration.
The 成人B站 Singers will open with 鈥淪uper Flumina Babilonis鈥 by Giovanni P. da Palestrina.
The Psalm text paints the extraordinarily somber image of the Israelites in captivity
as they sit by the side of the rivers in Babylon and hang up their harps, unable to
sing in this strange country.
鈥淒rei Ges盲nge鈥 (Three Songs) by Johannes Brahms are montages of different scenes.
The first piece, 鈥淎bendst盲ndchen,鈥 describes the beautiful music from a flute that
drifts through the evening air. 鈥淰ineta鈥 describes a beautiful ancient city that is
sunk deep in the ocean, and 鈥淒arthulas Grabesgesang鈥 is a mournful and impassioned
remembrance of an Irish maiden who has died.
The 成人B站 Singers will conclude with Eric Whitacre鈥檚 鈥淪leep,鈥 a commissioned work with
lyrics originally from a famous poem by Robert Frost. After learning the poem is still
under copyright, Whitacre asked a friend, Charles Antony Silvestri, to write new lyrics
to his finished music. The resulting words contain a completely different but equally
beautiful message.
The University Chorale will perform 鈥淕loria,鈥 the second movement of 鈥淭he Messe de
Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady), a polyphonic mass composed before 1365 by the French
poet Guillaume de Machaut. One of the masterpieces of medieval music and of all religious
music, it is the earliest complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass attributed
to a single composer.
鈥淎ve verum corpus,鈥 often considered William Byrd鈥檚 finest composition, was written
in 1605 under a time of duress for Catholics in England. Byrd played a dangerous game
by composing music for Catholic services (held secretly in private residences) after
King Henry VIII converted England from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of
England. Penalties for practicing Catholicism included fines, scrutiny, torture or
death. He managed this rebellion without loss of life or livelihood, due in part both
to his exemplary musical skill and by frequently dedicating publications to the queen.
The Chorale will end with three much newer works. Knut Nystedt, perhaps Norway鈥檚 most
famous choral composer, wrote 鈥淥 Crux" in 1978 using an ancient text by Venanturs
Fortunatus.
鈥淭he Spheres,鈥 the first movement of the 鈥淪unrise Mass,鈥 was written for chorus and
strings in 2011, 鈥渢o be performed with the sense of floating in space,鈥 by Ola Gjeilo
of Norway, a full-time composer based in New York City.
鈥淭e lucis ante terminum鈥 was written in 2003 by Levente Gy枚ngy枚si as an anthem to
commemorate Pope Gregory the Great, patron saint of musicians, singers, students,
and teachers. The Romanian composer is a professor of music theory at the Franz Liszt
Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.
Many of the performers sing in both the University Chorale and the 成人B站 Singers. Performers
include:
- ADA 鈥 Emily Anderson, Sarah Barnes, Caleb Bonar, Danna Borntrager, Hunter Braly, Angie Brunk, Catie Caton, Victoria Davison, Kelsey Dial, Caitlin Gray, Lauren Meyer, Kelsie Pletcher, Shelby Pletcher, Carissa Rodgers, Abby Seal, Samantha Spears, Karah Thompson, James Williamson.
- ARDMORE 鈥 Stephen McCleskey.
- ATOKA 鈥 Billy Snead.
- BRISTOW 鈥 Krysta Cassell.
- CALVIN 鈥 Jessy Beasley.
- CLEVELAND 鈥 Jackie Switzer.
- COALGATE 鈥 Sarah Sanders.
- COMANCHE 鈥 Morgan Harper, Clint Prucha.
- DAVIS 鈥 Keeli Fisher.
- DUNCAN 鈥 Bryan Young.
- EUFAULA 鈥 Tristan Nixon.
- HENRYETTA 鈥 Myranda Spencer.
- LITTLE AXE 鈥 Nick Geisler, Dustin Hawkins, Kelsie Self.
- LUTHER 鈥 Elizabeth Blanchard.
- MADILL 鈥 Kayla Williams.
- McALESTER 鈥 Kristina Heath, Naomi Long, Chris Mayhew, Jacob Stevens, Matthew Tidmore, Samantha Tyler.
- MIDWEST CITY 鈥 Kelsey Molina.
- MUSTANG 鈥 Kalyn Marker.
- NOBLE 鈥 Jordan Clark, Ryan Codopony, Tabitha Heaton, Jacie Hutcherson.
- NORMAN 鈥 Ryan Gadberry.
- OKEMAH 鈥 Andrew Brady.
- OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥 Aaron Sadler, Nathan Steinman.
- POTEAU 鈥 Evan Clay, Micah Hobday, Claire Marquardt.
- PRYOR 鈥 Laci Barringer.
- PURCELL 鈥 Lauren Cox.
- ROFF 鈥 Sarah Burrows, Sami Jo Scifres.
- SAPULPA 鈥 JamieLee Beuchat, Jordan Myers.
- SASAKWA 鈥 Ashley Tucker.
- SEMINOLE 鈥 Ginelle Gordon, Kaleb Gordon, John Stone.
- SHAWNEE 鈥 Megan Galbreaith, Debrah Morrison, Jericho Morton, Sheena Stallings.
- SPIRO 鈥 Christina Kushnick.
- STRATFORD 鈥 Chloe Henry, Laura Knight, Chalie Smith, Meleah Underwood.
- SULPHUR 鈥 Ryanne Overman.
- T成人B站MSEH 鈥 Josh Coats, Justin Cody, Tim Long, Tommy Long, Stephen Timperley.
- TIPTON 鈥 Kelvin Wood.
- TISHOMINGO 鈥 Zach Champagne, Starlet Etheridge, Clayton Sullivan.
- TULSA 鈥 Shay Standingwater.
- TUTTLE 鈥 Kevin Gottman.
- VALIANT 鈥 Amber Simpson, Ashlie Simpson.
- VINITA 鈥 Kristen Stecklein.
- WAYNE 鈥 Kathleen Madden.
- WELLSTON 鈥 Meg Stewart.
- WEWOKA 鈥 Jesslyn Richards.
- BLOOMFIELD, N.M. 鈥 Casey Long.
- HAVELOCK, N.C. 鈥 Joe Trail.
- DALLAS, TEXAS 鈥 Derek Coffman.
- THE COLONY, TEXAS 鈥 William Rauch.
- WHITERIGHT, TEXAS 鈥 Sara Houchin.