Huntington College Concert Choir announces spring tour

Huntington, Ind. " Musicians from the Huntington Department of Music will visit over 40 churches during the spring semester. Both the fifty-voice choir and smaller music teams will be involved in the musical outreach, which will include a five-state tour during Spring Break.

Our concert series, Impact 2000, is dedicated to the affirmation of God's presence and power in this modern world, said Dr. Janice Fulbright, chair of the Department of Music at Huntington College. This undertaking is an example of Huntington College's commitment to integrating faith, learning, and service.

The tour program consists of great traditional anthems of praise, including Heavenly Light by Russian Orthodox composer Andre Kopylov, Exultate Justi by Italian Baroque composer Giuseppe Viadana, the Cantique de Jean Racine by French composer Gabriel Faure, He Is Watching Over Israel from the great oratorio on the life of Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn, and The Last Words of David by the American choral composer Randall Thompson.

The program will also feature more contemporary works such as Hank Beebe's Go Out With Joy, Craig Courtney's One Faith, One Hope, One Lord, Allen Pote's A Jubilant Song and John Rutter's Gaelic Blessing.

And what choral concert would be complete without some exuberant spirituals bursting with the joy of the Lord? asks Fulbright. The repertoire will also include McCormick's Shadrack, Johnson's Ain't Got Time to Die, Shaw's arrangement of Set Down, Servant, and Dawson's Ain'a That Good News?

Several of our outstanding instrumentalists are featured with the choir and in solo performances on the tour, added Fulbright.

The Impact 2000 tour includes formal concerts in Columbus, Ohio, and Chambersburg and Idaville, Pennsylvania (see below). The tour concludes with a morning worship service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

The Impact 2000 concert series will then continue on the Huntington Campus with a performance of the Gloria by 20th Century French Composer Francis Poulenc. The May 2 concert will feature performers from both Huntington College and Manchester College.

The Music Department at Huntington College offers a comprehensive curriculum featuring degrees in Instrumental Performance, Vocal Performance, Choral Music Education, Instrumental Music Education, and Music for the Contemporary Church.

The Concert Choir performs under the direction of Dr. Janice Fulbright, music department chair and director of vocal studies at Huntington College. Fulbright has had an international professional career as a contralto soloist with many of the world's leading orchestras and in the leading opera houses in Europe and the United States. She will share some information about the vision of Huntington College and the Music Department with each of the churches during the tour. Dr. Fulbright and the choir students will be available to talk with young people about Huntington College, music performance and the Christian faith.

As a Christian college, Huntington is committed to developing the whole person, assisting students to understand all areas of human knowledge from the perspective of a Christian worldview, and preparing them to impact their world for Christ, said Fulbright. The Concert Choir has a proud tradition of sharing the Word of God through music.

For further information, contact the Music Department at (260) 359-4262 or the Huntington College Advancement Office at (260) 359-4042.