CLC choral group to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City June 16

Thirty six singers from the College of Lake County choral program will perform in New York City's famed Carnegie Hall on June 16. Led by Dr. Charles Clency, director of choral music, the singers will be in New York for rehearsals and sightseeing from June 13-17. The choir, which includes traditional age students and community members of all ages, will perform Haydn's masterpiece "Paukenmesse" (Mass in Time of War) as part of a Manhattan Concert Productions concert.

"I am very proud of these singers who have been working so hard for nearly a year to learn and perfect this difficult, 40-minute piece of music," Clency said. "We performed the complete work at CLC on May 9, and we are well prepared for the concert. I'm really looking forward to sharing this amazing musical experience with the choir."

The CLC group will be joined by several other choirs, the all-professional New York City Chamber Orchestra and soloists soprano Lianne Coble, mezzo-soprano Marguerite Krull, tenor Kirk Dougherty and bass Jason Thoms. The guest conductor will be Daniel Bara, director of choral activities and professor of music at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia.

One of the CLC vocalists, Angie Cevallos of Round Lake, is excited about the New York City performance.

"I have anticipated going on this trip since we first heard about it last year. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall along with my fellow choir members. We've worked hard to make this happen and hope that Dr. Clency will be proud of us," Cevallos said.

Haydn's "Mass in the Time of War" or "Paukenmesse," gets its title from its use of the timpani, or pauken in German. Haydn opens his mass with a symphony-like "Kyrie" and moves seamlessly throughout the "Gloria," "Credo" and "Sanctus." Haydn introduces the "In Tempore Belli" in the Benedictus, which he sets mostly in short nervous phrases for solo quartet, ending with an exciting timpani-driven "Agnus Dei" and celebration of peace, "Dona nobis pacem."

Dr. Clency will retire from CLC at the end of June after 10 years.

In 2007, Clency led 33 choir members to New York City for a Carnegie Hall performance with other college choirs, professional soloists and the New England Symphonic Ensemble, a first for CLC. In spring 2013, he led a CLC women's choir on a two-week tour of China to perform at CLC's American Culture Center at Xi'an University and at other venues, including the Great Wall of China, another first. In February 2014, Dr. Clency received the Harambee Award of Excellence at CLC's Salute to Gospel Music program.