Winter Choral Concert, Mar. 1

The Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers and Women's Chorus present a concert to relieve our cabin fever on Sunday, Mar. 1 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The eclectic program will offer everything from a Mass to songs with Shakespeare text and a popular song from a movie soundtrack. 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 Ashland Chamber Orchestra in a performance of Antonio Vilvadi's Gloria in D including student soloists Gracie Fumic, Alli Lange, Emily Schordock, Lila Wolfe and Rebecca Young.

The Chamber Singers, also conducted by Dr. Blackley, will perform selections which use all Shakespeare text including Four, a four movement piece by Matthew Harris consisting of Full Fathom Five, Who Is Sylvia?, Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred and Come Away, Come Away, Death; Edwin Fissinger's Sweet and Twenty as well as Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind by John Rutter.

Directed by Deborah Logan and accompanied by Susan Gregg, the Women's Chorus' selections will feature Stephen Schwartz's When You Believe from The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, How Can I Keep from Singing? by Robert Lowry and Giuseppe Pitoni's Cantate Domino.

Ashland Area Chorus Begins Rehearsals Jan. 13

The Ashland Area Chorus (AAC), under the direction of Libby Moore Slade, announces their spring schedule including rehearsals, concerts and membership requirements.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 13, Ashland Area Chorus rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-8:45 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts. This semester the Chorus will perform Beethoven's triumphal 9th Symphony with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra for their "Ode to Our 50th" concert on April 18 at Archer Auditorium.

Founded by Dr. Rowland Blackley in 1998, the AAC is dedicated to a mission of learning great music and singing it beautifully. The chorus is open to all singers from Ashland and surrounding counties and includes Ashland University faculty, staff and students as well as other singers from the wider community. Though no formal audition is required for membership, AAC members must be pitch accurate (sing 'on key') and be able to learn and perform their parts successfully. Previous choral experience is helpful.

Membership in AAC is open to all adults. Students still in high school may also participate with the permission of the ensemble's director. A nominal membership fee of $25 for adults and $15 for high school students is requested and payable by the fourth week of rehearsals to continue participation in the ensemble for the semester. The membership fee is payable at the Ashland University Box Office online at www.ashland.edu/tickets by clicking on the "Buy Single Tickets " icon.

For further information, contact the Chorus’ director Libby Slade at eslade@ashland.edu or (419) 685-5460.

Spring Choral Concert, April 28

The Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers and Women's Chorus present their final choral concert of the 2018-2019 academic year on Sunday, April 28 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. From Mozart to the Beatles and Pentatonix, the concert program celebrates the coming of spring and offers a preview of the University Choir's upcoming tour to Chicago. 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 in a performance of Benjamin Britten's Time from “Choral Dance from Gloriana,” along with the Kenyan folk song Wana Baraka, Mendelssohn's The Hundredth Psalm and Jack Halloran's arrangement of Witness.

The Chamber Singers, also directed by Dr. Blackley, will perform Penny Lane (as performed by the King's Singers), Ysaye M. Barnwell's Wanting Memories, I Had No Time to Hate by Nathan Howe with poetry by Emily Dickinson, and Swingle's arrangement of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik.

Directed by Ashland University alumna Julie Strebler-Renner and accompanied by Susan Gregg, the Women's chorus' selections include Brian Tate's Hold Me, Rock Me; Light in the Hallway (as performed by the Pentatonix); the traditional Irish folk song Bandyrowe; and Yonder Come Day, a traditional Georgia Sea Islands melody.

Chamber Singers Perform National Anthem at Ohio Senate

The Ashland University Chamber Singers were invited by Senator Larry Obhof, the new President of the Ohio Senate, to sing the National Anthem for the opening of the 133rd General Assembly on Monday, Jan. 7. Here is a video of the performance and a picture of the singers in the front of the Senate Chambers.

Chorus Rehearsals Begin Jan. 7

The Ashland Area Chorus (AAC), under the direction of Libby Slade, announces their spring schedule including rehearsals, concerts and membership requirements.

Beginning Monday, January 7, Ashland Area Chorus rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-8:45 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts.

Founded by Dr. Rowland Blackley in 1998, the AAC is dedicated to a mission of learning great music and singing it beautifully. The chorus is open to all singers from Ashland and surrounding counties and includes Ashland University faculty, staff and students as well as other singers from the wider community. Though no formal audition is required for membership, AAC members must be pitch accurate (sing 'on key') and be able to learn and perform their parts successfully. Previous choral experience is helpful.

This semester the Chorus will perform choruses from Verdi's Il Travatore, La Traviata, Nabucco and Aida with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra at their April 13 concert at Archer Auditorium.

Membership in AAC is open to all adults. Students still in high school may also participate with the permission of the ensemble's director. A nominal membership fee of $25 for adults and $15 for high school students is requested and payable by the fourth week of rehearsals to continue participation in the ensemble for the semester. The membership fee is payable at the Ashland University Box Office via phone at 419.289.5125 or online at www.ashland.edu/tickets by clicking on the "Buy Single Tickets" icon.

For further information, contact the Chorus’ director Libby Slade at eslade@ashland.edu or (419) 685-5460.

Fall Choral Concert, Sunday, Oct. 14

The Ashland University Choir, Women's Chorus and the Ashland Area Chorus present a fall choral concert with an eclectic program ranging from a sea chantey, to a Serbian gypsy dance, folk and art songs as well as sacred compositions. The concert will be held on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel and is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, professor of Music and director of Choral Activities, will conduct the University Choir with accompaniment by Dr. Timothy Guenther. Their portion of the program based on the theme of "Time and Place" will include Locus iste ("This place was made by God”) by Anton Bruckner, Time from “Choral Dance from Gloriana” by Benjamin Britten, I dream a world by Dave Brubeck, When memory fades as arranged by Eric Nelson, Sure on this shining night by Morten Lauridsen, and Shawn Kirchner's arrangement of the Kenyan folk song Wana Baraka.

Directed by Ashland University alumna Julie Strebler-Renner and accompanied by Susan Gregg, the Women’s chorus’ selections begin with the Canadian folk song Savory, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme as arranged by Donald Patriquin, followed by Daniel Elder’s Lullaby, Jacob Narverud’s Dominus vobiscum and the Serbian gypsy dance Niska Banja, arranged by Nick Page.

For the Ashland Area Chorus, director Elizabeth Slade has selected pieces following the theme "Viking Seas: Music from Iceland and other ports of call." The chorus will begin with Heyr, himna smithur ("Hear, Heaven’s maker what the poet bids.”) by Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson, followed by Heyr thú oss himnum á ("Hear us in heaven“) by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, and end with the sea chantey Drunken Sailor arranged by Jonathan Willcocks.

AU Choir's Unique Opportunity at Ohio State Reformatory

On day one of its 2018 choir tour, the University Choir toured the Ohio State Reformatory which was the site for the popular 1994 Academy Award nominated film Shawshank Redemption. While touring the site, they performed an impromtu concert in the facility's chapel. Listen here as the choir takes full advantage of the acoustics.

Choir Tour 2018: May 7-12

All alumni and friends of Ashland University are cordially invited to attend one of the University Choir's upcoming concerts as they travel close to you. The 2018 tour presents concerts scheduled at various churches and high schools in northern Ohio, western New York and Toronto. The following performances are free and open to the public.

Monday, May 7, 7:30 p.m.
First Lutheran Church, 33 Broadway St., Shelby, OH

Tuesday, May 8, 7 p.m.
Painesville United Methodist Church, 71 N. Park Place, Painesville, OH

Wednesday, May 9, 7 p.m.
Williamsville United Methodist Church, 5681 Main St., Williamsville, NY

Thursday, May 10, 7:30 p.m.
Glenview Presbyterian Church, 1 Glenview Ave., Toronto, ON

Under the direction of Dr. Rowland Blackley, the 2018 tour program includes selections from throughout the 2017-2018 concert season. Pieces by living American composers Egil Hovland, Z. Randall Stroope, André Thomas, and Wendell Whalum are featured along with those of Philips and Lotti. The Ashland University Chamber Singers will contribute songs by Debussy, David, and Tate, as well as works from the Renaissance. Excerpts from Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and some Moses Hogan spirituals will round out the program. There’s something for every choral taste!

Ashland Area Chorus Begins Jan. 8

The Ashland Area Chorus (AAC) welcomes new and returning members to their first rehearsal of the spring 2018 semester scheduled for Monday, January 8 from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts at Ashland University. Rehearsals continue until April 23 on subsequent Mondays.

In its nineteenth season, the AAC is dedicated to a mission of learning great music and singing it beautifully. The chorus is open to all singers from Ashland and surrounding counties and includes Ashland University faculty, staff and students as well as other singers from the wider community. Though no formal audition is required for membership, AAC members must be pitch accurate (sing 'on key') and be able to learn and perform their parts successfully. Previous choral experience is helpful.

This spring, the chorus will perform at the Ashland University Winter Choral Concert on Sunday, March 25 with the AU Choir, Chamber Singers and Women's Chorus. AAC will also sing selections from Handel's Solomon with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 28.

Membership in AAC is open to all adults. Students still in high school may also participate with the permission of the school's director. A nominal membership fee of $25 for adults, and $15 for students is requested and payable by the fourth week of rehearsals to continue participation in either ensemble for the semester. The membership fee is payable at the Ashland University Box Office via phone at 419.289.5125 or online at www.ashland.edu/music by clicking on the "Buy Tickets & Memberships" icon.

Area Chorus & Community Concert Band Announce Fall Schedules

Two community music ensembles at Ashland University [Ashland Area Chorus (AAC) and Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB)] announce their fall schedules including rehearsals, concerts and membership requirements.

Beginning Monday, August 28, Ashland Area Chorus rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-8:45 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts. Initially meeting on Tuesday, September 12, the Community Band rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Center for the Arts' Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Entering its nineteenth season, the AAC is dedicated to a mission of learning great music and singing it beautifully. The chorus is open to all singers from Ashland and surrounding counties and includes Ashland University faculty, staff and students as well as other singers from the wider community. Though no formal audition is required for membership, AAC members must be pitch accurate (sing 'on key') and be able to learn and perform their parts successfully. Previous choral experience is helpful.

AAC's theme this semester is Sing We and Chant It! Music from the Heart of England, featuring madrigals by William Byrd, Thomas Morley and Orlando Gibbons, and sacred works by Thomas Tallis, Imogene Holst, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. In addition to performances in AU's Fall Choral Concert on October 29 and Festival of Lights on December 10, the Ashland Area Chorus will be singing an extended prelude and service music at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland on Sunday, December 3 at the 5:30 p.m. Mass.

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band begins its twenty-fifth season and is for those that loved playing in band in high school or college and want the opportunity to play again. Performances for the ensemble this fall include a performance at the University with the Ashland University Concert Band on Saturday, December 9.

Requirements for membership are the ability to play a wind or percussion instrument (no need to be a virtuoso); an interest in playing for enjoyment; desire to play a wide variety of music for the public; an interest in meeting new people who share a common interest and availability for rehearsals on Tuesday evenings.

Membership in AAC and AACCB is open to all adults. Students still in high school may also participate with the permission of the ensemble's director.  A nominal membership fee of $25 for adults and $15 for high school students is requested and payable by the fourth week of rehearsals to continue participation in either ensemble for the semester. The membership fee is payable at the Ashland University Box Office via phone at 419.289.5125 or online at www.ashland.edu/tickets by clicking on the "Buy Single Tickets" icon.

For further information, contact the Chorus’ director Libby Slade at eslade@ashland.edu or (419) 685-5460; or Community Band director Leonard Salvo at lsalvo@ashland.edu.

Choir Tour to Germany Featured in Accent Magazine

The 2017 spring choir tour to Germany is featured in the fall issue of the Ashland University alumni publication, The Accent Magazine. The article travels with the choir from their departure from the Detroit airport to their arrival in Frankfurt, and then to Berlin where they performed their first concert. The tour continues to Wittenberg, birthplace of the Reformation, where AU choir alumna Stephanie Rickel Woods (2011) attended one of their concerts. The choir also went to Eisleben, Martin Luther's birthplace, and Leipzig where Johann Sebastian Bach composed and worked for most of his career. The visit to Germany ended with an unexpected tourist day in Frankfurt.

As summarized by music education major Jacob Poiner (Wellington, Ohio), “Choir is more than just the music…Choir is about the friendships and relationships just as much. Getting to experience such a fairy tale trip in the country where my family heritage lies with my friends was a life changing trip.”

You can view the full article online at issuu.com/augraphics/docs/accent_mag_fall17/5.

Guenther Plays Bach-organ in Germany

While on the Ashland University Choir tour in Germany this spring, Dr. Timothy Guenther, Ashland University organist, had the opportunity to play the Bach-organ at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany. Bach was the choir director at St. Thomas and he is buried there. Enjoy this short snip-it of Dr. Guenther on the Bach-organ.

Ashland Area Chorus Invites Locals to Sing in ASO Pops Concert

The Ashland Area Chorus (AAC), a non-auditioned mixed choir of 40-60 participants, invites local singers to join them for the short summer session and to perform with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. The 4-week rehearsal schedule meets for four consecutive Mondays including: June 5, 12, 19, 26. Each rehearsal is from 7-8:30 p.m. at Ashland University in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts. The session will conclude on Sunday, July 2 with a live performance of light, popular, and patriotic tunes with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra for the Pops In the Park concert at Brookside Park Band Shell.

The Chorus is open to the entire Ashland community and beyond, with previous singers travelling from Richland, Medina, Wayne, Holmes, and Crawford counties. Previous choral experience is helpful and encouraged. While there are no strict age limits, singers under 18 must be approved by the director.  There is no cost to the singer for the summer session.

The AAC performs in several concerts each year on the AU campus and with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. Recent appearances have included a stand-alone presentation of the Dvořák Mass in D Minor, subscription concerts with the ASO (including Orff’s Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah), Ashland University choral concerts (including Handel's Messiah and the Brahms Requiem) and summer pops concerts in the park.

Current members should encourage their talented friends and neighbors to attend the first summer rehearsal to join this unique community opportunity. For further information, please contact the AU Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Ron Blackley, at rblackle@ashland.edu or (419) 289-5114. Or, simply show up on June 5.

Three Vocal Ensembles Featured in Spring Choral Collage Concert, April 30

The Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers, and the Women's Chorus present a spring choral concert program of an eclectic mix from American compositions to spirituals and a cappella pieces. The "Choral Collage Concert" will be held on Sunday, April 30 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel and 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. After their spring tour in Germany and a concert with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, the University Choir has prepared three great works by American composers for their final concert of the year. The selections include  Randall Thompson's The Last Words of David (text from Biblical book of II Samuel), Z. Randall Stroope's Amor de mi Alma   (text by 16th century poet Garcilaso de la Vega) and Eric Whitacre's With a Lily in Your Hand (text by 20th century poet Garcia Lorca).

The Chamber Singers will sing Six Chansons written by twentieth century German-turned-American composer Paul Hindemith. Based on the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, the texts deal with natural or pastoral topics. The select-ensemble will also perform three foundational spirituals including Rockin' Jerusalem by André Thomas, Lily of the Valley by Wendell Whalum and Ain'-a That Good News by William L. Dawson.   

Directed by Kimberly Wolbert, the Women's chorus will also perform a spiritual as they sing Mark Hayes' arrangement of Go Down Moses. Other selections include Six Chansons, A Natural Woman by Deke Sharon and Anne Raugh, and Omnia Sol (Let Your Heart Be Staid) by Z. Randall Stroope as a senior tribute for the graduating members.

Dvořák's Mass in D, Nov. 13

Antonín Dvořák's Mass in D will be performed live in concert under the direction of Elizabeth Slade with the Ashland Area Chorus (AAC) and several guest soloists including organist Susan Gregg, mezzo-sopranos Denise Milner Howell and Sandra Ross, tenor Tim Johnson and baritone Brian Keith Johnson. The concert will be held on Sunday, November 13 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel at Ashland University. The performance is free and open to the public with a freewill offering accepted to benefit the Sandy Brown Honorary Vocal Music Teacher Mini-Grant Fund through the Ashland County Community Foundation.

The concert will showcase Dvořák's original composition for vocal soloists, choir and organ which was published in 1887. The piece was written at the request of Josef Hlávka, founder of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Art, for the consecration of his new chapel that was built at his castle in Lužany in Western Bohemia. Because of the small size of the Lužany chapel, the Mass was written for an intimate space with an organ instead of an orchestra. In addition, Dvořák wrote it for a modest presentation in a more lyrical and prayerful arrangement than dramatic. It also reflected his love of nature and the tranquil countryside surrounding Hlávka's castle through the folk inspired movements. The work observes the customary parts of the Catholic Ordinary of the Mass including Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.

In her fourth year as the Ashland Area Chorus director, Slade also teaches musicianship courses at Ashland University, and serves with her husband, Peter Slade, in leading worship music at Ashland First United Methodist Church. She holds a B.A. in Music and French from the University of Virginia and an M.Ed. from Harvard University where she studied choral conducting and served as choral administrator for the Harvard Choirs. During her time at Harvard, she was a member of the professional Choir of the Church of the Advent in Boston and a soprano soloist in and around the Boston area. Slade went on to direct the Virginia Women’s Chorus at the University of Virginia and has studied voice and performed with choirs in Virginia, New England and London, UK. In 2009, Slade recruited and directed the hundred-voice Kroc Center Dedication Chorus for the opening of the Salvation Army’s new community center.

In its eighteenth season, the AAC was founded by Dr. Rowland Blackley, director of choral activities at Ashland University. The ensemble is dedicated to a mission of learning great music and singing it beautifully. With over 60 members this fall, the chorus is open to all singers from Ashland and surrounding counties and includes Ashland University faculty, staff and students as well as other singers from the wider community. The chorus sings on programs with the Ashland University Choir and performs annually with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. New members are always welcome and are invited to the Monday evening rehearsals held at 7 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts at Ashland University. 

Ashland Area Chorus Invites Locals to Sing in Abbreviated Summer Session

The Ashland Area Chorus, a non-auditioned mixed choir of 40-60 participants, invites local singers to join them for the short summer session and to perform with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. The 4-week rehearsal schedule begins on June 6 and continues for four consecutive Mondays including: June 6, 13, 20, 27. Each rehearsal is from 7-8:30 p.m. at Ashland University in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts (formerly the Arts and Humanities building). The session will conclude on Sunday, July 3 with a live performance of light, popular, and patriotic tunes with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra for the Pops In the Park concert at Brookside Park Band Shell.

The Chorus is open to the entire Ashland community and beyond, with previous singers travelling from Richland, Medina, Wayne, Holmes, and Crawford counties. Previous choral experience is helpful and encouraged. While there are no strict age limits, singers under 18 must be approved by the director. There is no cost to the singer for the summer session.

The AAC performs in several concerts each year on the AU campus and with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. Recent appearances have included subscription concerts with the ASO (including Orff’s Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah), Ashland University choral concerts (including Handel's Messiah and the Brahms Requiem) and summer pops concerts in the park.

Current members should encourage their talented friends and neighbors to attend the first summer rehearsal to join this unique community opportunity. For further information, please contact the AU Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Ron Blackley, at rblackle@ashland.edu or (419) 289-5114. Or, simply show up on June 6.

Spring Choral Concert to Feature A Cappella and Folk Music

The Ashland University Chamber Singers, the Women's Chorus and the a cappella ensemble Surround Sound present their spring choral concert on Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.  The performance is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, will conduct the Chamber Singers as they perform selections made famous by the best singing groups of their generation while tracing some of the history of the a cappella pop/jazz choral movement over several decades. 

The Chamber Singers will sing Ward Swingle's arrangement of J. S. Bach's Bourree made popular by the Swingle Singers, and Java Jive by Drake and Oakland as arranged by Shaw and sung by the Manhattan Transfer; to Daryl Runswick's arrangement of Paul McCartney's Blackbird as performed by the King’s Singers; Peter Eldridge's Come Home as sung by New York Voices; and Peder Karlsson's Gøta as recorded by the Real Group.

Continuing with the a cappella-theme, the student-led a cappella ensemble Surround Sound will perform three tunes including Bastille's Pompeii, Meghan Trainor's Dear Future Husband and George Ezra's Budapest. 

Directed by Elizabeth Slade, the Women's Chorus will perform from a different genre including folk tunes from the British Isles and Latin America, along with a piece by French composer Maurice Duruflé. 

Bach Vesper Service Set for Sunday

Choral and instrumental musicians from Trinity and the Ashland University Music Department will join forces on Sunday, April 17 at 4 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 508 Center Street in Ashland, to present the twelfth in a series of Bach Vesper services, patterned after the order and flow of a Lutheran service from Bach’s day.

Featured music includes Bach's Cantata #43, God Goeth Up with Shouting and selections from the Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D. Dr. Rowland Blackley, Ashland University Director of Choral Activities will direct the choir and orchestra and Dr. Timothy Guenther Ashland University organist will be at the organ. Pastor Michael Koch of Trinity will preach. Ashland University students singing solos include soprano Gracie Fumic, alto Hannah Wise, tenor Jacob Poiner, and bass Jake Riley.

“The music of the great Lutheran musician Johann Sebastian Bach is often viewed as great art - which it is - but the spiritual aspects of Bach’s settings of the Gospel are often ignored. We hope this worship service will allow the true voice of Bach’s music to speak in the context for which it was written,” said Ron Marenchin, Coordinator of Music Ministries at Trinity.

The service is open to the public. A freewill offering will be received. A reception will follow. Staffed child care for children ages five and under will be available. The church building is accessible to persons with handicapping conditions. For more information see the church's website at www.trinityashland.org.

Winter Choral Concert This Sunday

The winter choral concert featuring three vocal ensembles will be held on Sunday, February 28 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

Under the direction of Dr. Rowland Blackley, the University Choir will present an eclectic mix including Ola Gjeilo's Ubi caritas, a modern twist of a medieval chant; spirituals Abide with Me and The Battle of Jericho by Moses Hogan, and Eric Whitacre's composition of Frederico Garcia Lorca's Spanish love poem, With a Lily in Her Hand.

Dr. Blackley will also conduct the Chamber Singers performing Morten Lauridsen's Les Chansons des Rose, a set of songs based on poetry by Rainer Rilke.

The Women's Chorus, directed by Elizabeth Slade, will perform Johannes Brahms' Four Songs for Women's Chorus, Opus 17, which is one of his earlier works written when he was only 27 years old.

Fall Choral Concert Features Three Vocal Ensembles

Ashland University’s Fall Choral Concert slated for Sunday, October 12 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel features three University vocal ensembles including the Ashland University Choir, Ashland University Women’s Chorus and Ashland Area Chorus.  The performance is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities will conduct the Ashland University Choir performing Mozart's "Regina coeli" with the Ashland Chamber Orchestra.  In addition, they will sing three love songs and three sacred motets from composers including Samuel Barber, Johann Pachelbel, Z. Randall Stroope and Johannes Brahms.  A Christian song from Kenya will also be featured.   

The Ashland University Women's Chorus, directed by Dr. Marla Butke, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education, will perform a variety of pieces including "Hotaru Koi," a Japanese piece by Ro Ogura, Zebulon Highben's "Shiru L'Adonai" with Hebrew text from Exodus 15:19-21 and accompaniment by a percussion ensemble, Laura Farnell's "In You I Found," and Giovanni Battista Gajani's "Laudate Pueri" based on Psalm 113. 

Elizabeth Slade will conduct the Ashland Area Chorus beginning  with "This Marriage" by Eric Whitacre followed by "Il est bel et bon" ["He is handsome and good"] by Pierre Passereau, "O Death, Rock Me Asleep" attributed to Anne Boleyn, "Mother, I Will Have a Husband" by Thomas Vautor and concluding with Leonard Bernstein's "Make Our Garden Grow."