Spring Concerts Bloom this April
The month of April features several free concerts with select ensembles of Westmont students and faculty. For more information, please call the music department at (805) 565-6040.
The Composer’s Concert on Friday, April 7, at 7 p.m in Deane Chapel highlights new works by Westmont student composers performed by both fellow students and the composers themselves.
The Vocal Chamber Concert, featuring works by Rutter, Vivaldi, Poulenc and others, is Sunday, April 9, at 7 p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Church. Performers include members of the Westmont Choral Union, Westmont Chamber Singers and Westmont College Choir. The Choral Union and Chamber Singers are directed by Grey Brothers. The Choral Union chamber ensembles are directed by Steve Hodson and Nichole Dechaine.
The Chamber Orchestra Concert is on Sunday, April 9, at 3 p.m. in Deane Chapel.
The Westmont Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of John Douglas, offers its Spring Jazz Concert Wednesday, April 19, at 8 p.m. in Westmont’s Deane Chapel. The ensemble features four vocalists: Shanna Cooley, Erin Leahy, Nina Fox and Daniel Prykhitko. They will be singing several songs, including Manhattan Transfer’s arrangement of “Route 66” and “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” (from Disney’s “The Aristocats”).
The jazz ensemble also features Erik Fauss on violin, Chris Fedderson on clarinet and tenor sax, Prykhitko on alto sax, Jay Real on piano, John Butler on guitar and Jason Watts on drums. Beside vocal standards such as “Young at Heart,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “God Bless the Child” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” the ensemble will feature Butler singing an original song, “The Happier Side.” Ensemble instrumentals include John Coltrane’s iconic “Giant Steps,” Jerome Richardson’s funky gospel tune “Groove Merchant” and Real’s original “District 7.”
The Spring Choral Concert, featuring a wide array of music from Austrian, Italian, American and British composers, is Friday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in First United Methodist Church.
The repertoire includes motets by Anton Bruckner, including “Virga Jesse” and “Locust Iste,” and a contemporary setting of “Locus Iste” by British composer Paul Mealor. The choir will also share American folk songs on the program including “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain” by Santa Barbara composer Emma Lou Diemer and “Shenandoah” by James Erb. The concert features Philip Stopford’s anthem “Do Not Be Afraid,” motets by Felix Mendelssohn and Tomas Luis da Victoria, Kim Andre Arnesen’s “Flight Song” and Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on This Shining Night.”
The String Chamber Music Concert, featuring top Westmont student musicians performing works by Brahms, Mozart, Loeffler, Arensky and Bartok, is Sunday, April 23, at 3 p.m. at Deane Chapel. The 70-minute concert, under the direction of Han Soo Kim, will feature pianist Jeong-ah Ryu, Westmont artist in residence. Ryu has been recognized as a soloist, chamber musician and teaching professional, winning numerous prizes in Korea, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Westmont College Choir Tour, starting in Milan and moving through Venice, Vienna, Bratislava, Melk and Salzburg, is May 7-19. On the tour, the chamber singers will perform samples of American folk music as well as works by composers from Venetia (Claudio Monteverdi and Cipriano de Rore) and Vienna (Franz Schubert).