Baker Memorial UMC Hosts Kent State University Chorale March 24
ST. CHARLES – The Kent State University Chorale will perform a free concert of sacred music at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown St. Charles.
The program will feature William Byrd's “Ave verum corpus,” Josquin des Prez' “Tu pauperum refugium,” Joseph Haydn's “The Heaven's Are Telling,” Johannes Brahms' “O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf,” Benjamin Britten's “I Lov'd a Lass” and “Lift Boy,” a set of Chinese folk songs and more.
In addition to this concert, the choirs are presenting performances at churches and schools in Massillon, Perrysburg and Toledo, Ohio, and St. Mary of the Woods and Terra Haute, Ind.
The KSU Chorale is the flagship choral ensemble of Kent State University's Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. The Chorale performs masterworks of choral literature in various languages spanning from the 15th century to the present. In addition to its campus concerts, the Chorale tours each spring. The Chorale is open to all students by audition, regardless of major.
Conductor Scott MacPherson has served as associate professor and director of Choral Activities in the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music since 2008. In addition to conducting the KSU Chorale and Kent Chorus, MacPherson leads the graduate choral conducting program. He has consistently earned praise for the high standards of performance of choirs under his direction. His programming blends a variety of musical styles ranging from early music through new works commissioned especially for him and his ensembles. MacPherson is in demand as a guest conductor, choral clinician, and adjudicator, both nationally and abroad.
Before joining KSU, MacPherson served as the Director of Choral Activities at Trinity University in San Antonio from 1993-2008. Before moving to San Antonio he served on the choral faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music from 1985-1993 where he was a colleague of the late Robert Fountain.
MacPherson holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Southern California. He is the founding Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed San Antonio Chamber Choir, a professional ensemble of 24-32 voices in its eighth season. He is also the founding Artistic Director of the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, a professional-grade choir of 55 voices based in Madison, Wis., now in its 12th season.
Baker Memorial Church is at East Main Street and Fourth Avenue in downtown St. Charles. A free-will offering will be taken. For more information call the church at 630-584-6680.