(Posted November 8, 2013)

Russell Shelley, professor of music, will conduct the Choral Union.
Russell Shelley, professor of music, will conduct the Choral Union.

--News Release--

Nov. 5, 2013

JUNIATA COLLEGE CHORAL UNION PERFORMS FOLK SONGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT FALL CONCERT


HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- The Juniata College Choral Union will explore musical territory ranging from Russia to Hawaii in its fall concert at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Rosenberger Auditorium in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on the Juniata campus.

The concert is free and open to the public. The Choral Union is directed by Russell Shelley, Elma Stine Heckler Professor of Music.

In addition, the Stone Church of the Brethren Ringers, a bell choir, will perform, as will singers from Standing Stone Elementary School and Southside Elementary School.

The concert will open with the majestic hymn, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," written by Josef Haydn, an Austrian composer who is known as "The Father of the Symphony." Following that selection, accompanied by the Standing Stone and Southside Elementary Singers, the union will sing "Can You Hear," by Jim Papoulis and Francisco Nunez, a dramatic call for a new future. The song was originally written for the larger work, "Sounds of a Better World."

"Movin' On," by Raymond Hannisian, is the story of someone faced with many obstacles and setbacks who decides not to dwell in the past. The next song, "Ahe Lau Makani," arranged by Jerry Depuit, was written by Hawaii's last queen, Liliuokalani, and translates to English as "The Gentle Breeze."

The scene shifts from Hawaii to the Great Plains as the choral union sings "Red River Valley," best known as a cowboy folk song covered by artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Marty Robbins. The Stone Church Ringers will play two instrumentals, "Jazz Pizzicato," by Leroy Anderson, and an instrumental version of the great spiritual, "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho."

The Stone Church Ringers will collaborate with the ensemble to perform "Praise to the Lord," followed by "Come Ye Sinners." The choir-bells collaboration ends with "American Tapestry III: Spiritual," which incorporates portions of another classic song, "Down by the Riverside."

The choral ensemble will perform "Cielito Lindo," a common Mexican folk song often sung by mariachi bands. Its title translates as "Lovely Sweet One." The tone shifts from romance to raucousness with the sea chanty "What Shall We do With a Drunken Sailor." Chantys were songs written to accompany workers performing tasks on sailing ships.

"Russian Picnic," by Harvey Enders, will be performed next, followed by "The World of Our Dreams." "Dreams" was performed by the Juniata College Concert Choir for the investiture ceremony during the inauguration of James Troha, president of Juniata College.

The concert will end with "Worthy to be Praised," by Byron J. Smith, a modern composition with a gospel influence. The final selections will be "Let Me Fly," a traditional spiritual, and "El Cielo," arranged by Pablo Sosa.

The Choral Union is the largest choral ensemble at Juniata with a student membership of more than 90 and more than 50 members from communities in the Huntingdon area. The Juniata Choral Union traditionally performs larger choral works.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.