Clarion University Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Henry A. Alviani, will present “In God We Trust: A Choral Perspective” at 7:30 p.m. April 5 in Marwick-Boyd auditorium. This performance is part of the Mary L. Seifert Cultural Series, “In God We Trust?” This will be Alviani's final concert at Clarion University.
The evening will open with a panel discussion featuring Douglas Hull representing the Christian religious tradition; political science and philosophy professor Dr. Todd Lavin representing the Jewish religion; and physics professor Dr. Vasudeva Rao Aravind representing Hinduism. The musical performance will follow. The panel discussion and concert are free and open to the public.
The concert will feature choral music representing the Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Chippewa (Ojibway) religious traditions. Chamber Singers will perform Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” (Psalms 108, 100, 23, 2, 131, 133), sung in Hebrew, with counter-tenor soloist Joseph Vito Bazzone, organist Kevin Rush of Rimersburg, harpist Maurissa Jill Knaub, trumpets, trombones, percussion and timpani; and Gustav Holst’s “Choral Hymns” from the Rig Veda Third Group for women’s voices and harp (again featuring Knaub) and Fourth Group for men’s voices and piano, played by Bonnie Ferguson. They will also perform the “Agnus Dei” from Requiem by Gabriel Faure.
Concert Choir will then perform “Nindjingockanaki” (The Ground Trembles), a Chippewa midé or medicine song, sung in Ojibway, arranged by Clarion University music education student Zachary Ray of Franklin. This will be followed by “Nun danket alle Gott” (Now thank we all our God) by Johann Pachelbel, sung in German, with organ and brass. Then Concert Choir will perform a medley from “The Passion of the Christ” by John Debney, sung in Aramaic, featuring Jessica McGuire of Emlenton on flute and percussion led by Clarion University percussion instructor David Hepler. The concert will close with Moses Hogan’s arrangement of the traditional spiritual “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?”
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