ISU School of Performing Arts to present the ISU Choirs Mid-Winter Concert

The ISU Choirs Mid-Winter Concert will be presented on Friday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Jensen Grand Concert Hall in the Stephens Performing Arts Center. 

The concert is the first performance of ISU choral ensemble in the semester. 

"We are thrilled to be able to sing to a live audience since three or four weeks ago COVID infections in our area had gone to very high levels," said Dr. Scott Anderson, Director of Choral Activities at ISU. "Now that these rates have fallen to the lowest levels in many months, we hope that choral music lovers in our community will join us on March 4 for an entertaining program of a wide variety of musical styles!"

American composer Morten Lauridsen's choral cycle "Mid-Winter Songs",  will be presented by the 20 member ISU Chamber Choir.  Lauridsen's music is set to poems by Robert Graves, chosen by the composer to represent a reflection upon the many experiences of love over a lifetime.  ISU piano performance graduate Gabriel Lowman will collaborate with the Chamber Choir in presenting this significant choral masterpiece of the late twentieth century.  

The 45-voice ISU Concert Choir will perform Padre G. B. Martini's setting of "Domine, ad adjuivandum me festina, featuring sololists Miren Gabiola, soprano, Claire Smedley, alto, John DeRouen, tenor, and Brett Friedman, bass.  The choir will also perform Morten Lauridsen's setting of "Sure on this Shining Night", the traditional South African song "Tshotsholoza", arranged by Jeffery L. Ames, and Eric Whitacre's moving setting of "Sing Gently", which was written to express comfort for all people affected directly and indirectly by the world's COVID-19 crisis. The Concert Choir will end the program with Byron J. Smith's rousing gospel setting of "Shout Glory!" featuring vocal soloists Claire Smedley and Maximo Orr, and pianist Jack DeTombe, who is also featured throughout the program.

ISU Music Department concert admission prices are Adults - $8, ISU Faculty & Staff - $6, Precollege students - $4. and ISU students – FREE (with valid Bengal ID).  Children under the age of 6 will not be admitted into ISU Music Department concerts