Collegiate Singers to Perform May 4
The Fairmont State Collegiate Singers, under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Poland,
will perform in concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in Colebank Hall.
Admission to the concert will be free and open to the public.
The program includes a varied repertoire of sacred and secular songs, ranging from
Moses Hogan's spiritual arrangements to Nina Gilbert's setting of "Down By the Riverside."
Other sacred selections include the well-known text from the Song of Solomon, "Arise,
My Love, and Come Away" in a setting by Howard Helvey, and "The Prayer of the Children"
by Kurt Bestor and Andrea Klouse. The text of this prayer was written in response
to an eyewitness account of the plight of children in Bosnia-Herzogovina during their
civil strife. A featured work among the sacred songs is "Freedom Trilogy" arranged
by Paul Halley. This piece contains modern harmonization of a chant melody, two African
traditional songs and "Amazing Grace," all woven together in a medley with piano and
percussion.
Secular works include a nonsense song in Russian, a Thai folksong and several part-songs.
David Dickau's composition, "If Music Be the Food of Love," is an exquisite setting
of a familiar17th-century poem. "Flower of Beauty" by John Clements will also be performed.
On the group's recent spring tour, the Collegiate Singers performed four concerts
at high schools and churches in Hundred and Sistersville, W.Va., and in Logan, Ohio.
The group concluded their travels with worship services at Trinity Cathedral, an English
Gothic structure in the heart of downtown Cleveland.
For more information, call (304) 367-4219.