Spring Choral Concert Features Four Choirs Including Loudonville High School

Three Ashland University vocal ensembles join forces with the Loudonville High School Symphonic Choir to present the university's annual spring choral concert on Sunday, April 29, at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, professor of Music and director of Choral Activities, will conduct the University Choir and Chamber Singers with Dr. Timothy Guenther accompanying on organ and piano. The University Choir will sing a pair of spirituals by Moses Hogan including Abide with Me and The Battle of Jericho.

The Chamber Singers will perform John David and Peter Knight’s uplifting song You Are the New Day, which was made famous by the world-renowned King’s Singers; Esto les Digo by Kinley Lange, a beautiful pair of verses from Matthew’s gospel translated into Spanish; Giselle Wyers' composition of Within the Circles of Our Lives with poetry by Kentucky's Wendell Berry; and Brian Tate's Gate Gate, a setting of a Buddhist mantra.

Directed by Ashland University alumna Julie Strebler-Renner and accompanied by Susan Gregg, the Women's chorus' selections will follow the theme of "What the world needs now...hope, truth, peace, love, justice.” Pieces will include the Beatles' Blackbird; Andrea Ramsey's The Rising; Vijah Singh's On Justice, Truth and Peace; and the Pentatonix arrangement of Take Me Home.

Under the direction of Michael Snyder, the LHS Symphonic Choir will sing Eric Whitacre's The Seal Lullaby, Ola Gjeilo's Northern Lights, Andre Thomas' Swing Down Chariot, and their Women's Chorus will perform I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray, also by Thomas.

The University and LHS Choirs will also present Undine Smith Moore's arrangement of Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord as a combined number.