Springtime brings two chances to enjoy beautiful music as West Liberty University’s College of Arts and Communications presents choral concerts for the public to enjoy.
The first concert, Let Music Fill the Air, takes place at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, April 29 at Mount St. Joseph.
Offering an afternoon of inspiring and refreshing music for choir and string quartet, this concert takes place in the sublime beauty and acoustic space of the Mount St. Joseph chapel.
“This concert will surely enliven your spirit and soothe your soul,” said WLU Director of Choral Activities Dr. Ryan Keeling.
Performed by the WLU Singers and Choral Scholars, works by Ola Gjeilo, Ēriks Ešenvalds, G. F. Handel, Eric Whitacre, Gwyneth Walker and others will be performed.
This is the first time that the WLU choirs will perform at Mount St. Joseph.
“I discovered this space after I met with St. Joseph Retreat Center director Anna Marie Troiani and arranged to hold the WLU choir retreat there. I just fell in love with the space. Please join us for an enjoyable afternoon,” Keeling said.
The WLU Singers include 30 voices,and the Choral Scholars consist of 28 students, according to Dr. Keeling.
The concert at Mount St. Joseph is free to the public, though donations will be accepted.
The second choral concert will take place at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 5, at Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church.
This performance consists of the WLU College Community Chorus performing parts two and three of George Frideric Handel’s most famous oratorio, Messiah.
“Please join us and enjoy the WLU College Community Chorus, student and faculty soloists and a professional orchestra as they present the Lenten and Easter portions of Messiah,” Keeling said.
The concert will feature well-known choruses such as “Worthy is the Lamb” and “Hallelujah” and lesser known choruses and arias.
Tickets for the Vance concert are $10; guests can pay at the door. Student and senior citizen tickets will be discounted to $5 and all WLU students with ID are free. Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church is located at 905 National Road, Wheeling.
A resident of Pittsburgh, Keeling joined WLU as its director of choral activities in July. Also an alumnus, he is the artistic director of Western Pennsylvania’s premier chamber choir Voces Solis and assistant conductor of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, as well as the music director of OvreArts.
The Division of Music at West Liberty University offers undergraduate degrees in music education, music performance and music technology. Among its many ensembles are the University Singers, Wind Ensemble, College Community Chorus, Choral Scholars, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Electronic Music Ensemble.
