DC Chamber Singers to present spring concert April 23
April 19, 2016
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College Chamber Singers present “There is Hope” for its annual spring choral concert Saturday, April 23, at 7 p.m. The event will be held in the sanctuary of St. John United Church of Christ, located at 950 Webster St. on the Defiance College campus.
With acts of terror occurring daily in society, it is difficult to imagine a world without hatred and violence. It is from this feeling that the DC Chamber Singers present “There is Hope.”
The concert features the 13-minute “Dark Night of the Soul” by composer Ola Gjeilo. Gjeilo was born in Norway, but studied in New York at the Juilliard School and the Royal College of Music in London. He is now based in the United States working as a full-time composer and solo pianist.
Accompanied by piano and string quartet, the text comes from a 16th century poem by Saint John of the Cross which narrates the unknowable journey of the soul from one’s body to God. The musical and textual themes create a powerful centerpiece for a program of hope.
The Defiance College Chamber Singers is an auditioned, mixed choral ensemble of approximately 35 DC students. Re-established in the spring of 2010 with conductor Andrew Schultz, the ensemble has continued to perform on campus and in the surrounding community since. Repertoire contains music from all stylistic periods, including contemporary music, and consists of small-form choral music performed a cappella and/or with chamber instruments.
Recent tours for the Chamber Singers include a 10-day trip out west with stops in St. Louis, Kansas City, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Des Moines. In the fall of 2015, the choir spent five days traveling to Nashville with performances in Indianapolis, Evansville, and Urbana. The trip also included a recording session at the RCA Studio B, made famous by Elvis Presley, and an impromptu performance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
Andrew Schultz is in his seventh year as Director of Music Programs at Defiance College. While overseeing the academic and performance goals of the department, he leads the DC Chamber Singers, Choral Union, music for DC Players productions, in addition to teaching conducting, music theory, and voice. He serves the Defiance community working for the Defiance Community Cultural Council as Artistic and Performance Series Director.
Schultz coordinates the three DCCC performance series including Sunday at the Stroede, Bands, Bands, Bands!; Young Audience Series, and Music in Your Parks. He also maintains a private voice studio and is in his ninth year as director of music at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Defiance.
DC Chamber Singers student members include Kelsea Burns, Antwerp, OH; David Brown, Gabrielle Justice, Malcolm Solack, Columbus, OH; Jakob Adkins, Aerica Firman, Amanda Heil, Megan Puehler, George Roth, Danielle Vance, Alexis Weidenhamer, Defiance, OH; Jordan Osborne, Delaware, OH; Tim Feasel, Fort Jennings, OH; Samantha Butler, Hamilton, OH; Claire Turner, Medina, OH; Lucas Parsell, Napoleon, OH; Megan Pleskovic, Strongsville, OH; Keira Grandey, Stryker, OH; Paige Rains, Swanton, OH; Erin Conner, Sycamore, OH; Kayla Richer, Sylvania, OH; Jennifer Repka, Toledo, OH; Joseph Kudela, Vermilion, OH; Jorian Beery, Wadsworth, OH; Nicky Winland, Wauseon, OH;
Xavier Blyden, Bridgeport, CT; Taylor Haydinger, Wilmington, DE; Nathaniel Hicks, Atlanta, GA; Nicole Baseley, Greenwood, IN; Javone Hilliard, Noblesville, IN; Rolando Martinez, Detroit, MI; Jalin Nealy, Pontiac, MI; and Cormack Lazarus, St. Mary, Jamaica.
The event is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken at the end of the performance. More information about Defiance College Music Programs can be found at www.defiance.edu/music.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
