Friday, Nov 15, 2019
Concerts marking the choir鈥檚 centenary will include performances on both coasts
The Westminster Choir, conducted by Joe Miller, began its 100th Anniversary season with concerts in Massapequa, N.Y., and Princeton last weekend.
In January it will continue to mark the choir鈥檚 centenary with a concert tour in the western United States with performances in Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City (hosted by Melanie Malinka 鈥01), greater Los Angeles (hosted by John Romeri 鈥74) and La Jolla (hosted by Alex Benestelli 鈥10). While on tour, the ensemble and Dr. Miller will present workshops in nearby high schools and colleges.
The tour program is titled 鈥淎ppear and Inspire,鈥 and a highlight is Benjamin Britten鈥檚 Hymn to Saint Cecilia, reflecting the Westminster Choir's spirit and mission as it has "appeared and inspired" thousands of choral musicians over the past century. The choir will also perform Psalm 96 鈥淪ing to the Lord a New Song,鈥 composed by Westminster Professor Christian Carey to celebrate the ensemble鈥檚 100th anniversary. Speaking about the new work, Carey said, 鈥淚t seemed to be an especially appropriate text to celebrate the college's rich tradition of music-making and express hope for its continued vitality.鈥
Other works on the program are O Magnum Mysterium by , Jake Runestad鈥檚 Let My Love Be Heard, Arnold Sch枚nberg鈥檚 Friede auf Erden, J. David Moore鈥檚 arrangement of the traditional Appalachian tune Will the Circle Be Unbroken and works by Pawel Lukaszewski, Michael Ostrzyga and Jeffery L. Ames.
鈥淭hinking about the deep impact the Westminster Choir has had on our choral culture as I developed this concert鈥檚 program, I鈥檝e imagined the 鈥榯ouch鈥 that 100 years of music have made on so many people鈥檚 lives,鈥 says Dr. Miller. 鈥淥ur program reflects the dedication and hope of so many musicians and supporters. We stand on the shoulders of all who have gone before us and we are grateful to be able to share this tradition with our audiences.鈥
Audiences worldwide will be able to listen to the choir perform when its annual Tour Homecoming Concert at Richardson Auditorium in Princeton is broadcast live on Monday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. EST broadcast live on WWFM, The Classical Network. Details about the concert and broadcast will be available on the web at rider.edu/westminsterchoir.
In April the Choir will travel to Ohio to perform J.S. Bach鈥檚 St. Matthew鈥檚 Passion at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music鈥檚 on Saturday, April 25. On Sunday, April 26, the choir will present a 100th Anniversary concert at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio, where John Finley Williamson founded the Westminster Choir in 1920.
In May, the Choir will travel to Charleston, S.C., for the Spoleto Festival U.S.A., where it is the ensemble-in-residence. Its performances at the Festival will be announced in January.