The choirs of Kellogg Community College will perform two final pre-tour concerts showcasing selections from the program they’ll tour with internationally in June, free to the public at locations in Marshall and St. Joseph.
The upcoming concerts – highlighting music to be performed during the choirs’ upcoming concert tour of the Baltics – will be held at:
- 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 101 E. Mansion St. in Marshall
- 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8, at St. Joseph Catholic Parish, 220 Church St. in St. Joseph
Both concerts are free and open to the public, though a freewill offering will be collected to support the tour and future music initiatives at the College. Individuals can also donate to support the tour online.
The Program
Each concert will open with part one of the touring program, titled “Jubilant Praise: A Celebration of Sacred Choral Music,” beginning with an organ prelude by organist Diane Pridgeon performing “Berceuse” by Louis Vierne. Performances will follow including selections from the program’s remaining two parts, performed by the KCC Choral Union directed by KCC Music Area Coordinator and Vocal Arts Director Dr. Gerald Case-Blanchard with accompanist Nancy D. Brown.
Part one of each program will include Handel’s “Sing Unto God”; “If Ye Love Me” by Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis; “Sing Joyfully” by William Byrd; Mendelssohn’s “Grant Us Thy Peace”; Bach’s “Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden BWV 230”; “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation” by Joachim Neander; “Praise the Lord” by Florence Price; and “All That Hath Life and Breath, Praise Ye the Lord” by René Clausen.
In Marshall, part two of the program will include “4 Sketches, Op.15 (Mvmt. 3 – Dreaming)” by Amy Beach, performed by staff accompanist Cynthia Garn; “Imbakwa” by Jim Papoulis; “Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal” by Alice Parker; “Down by the Riverside” by Stacy V. Gibbs; and “The Battle of Jericho” arranged by Moses Hogan.
Part two in St. Joseph will be the same except opening with “Da Pacem” by Donatas Zakaras instead of “4 Sketches.”
Both concerts will close with a performance of Bach’s “Allabreve in D Major, BWV 589” by organist Dr. Mark Wells.
The upcoming Baltics tour will include a choir of approximately 40 singers, with performances in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, running June 16 through 24. It’s KCC’s third international concert tour in the College’s almost 70-year history, as the choirs toured Ireland and Italy in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
For more information about the upcoming concerts, the tour or other music programming at the College, contact Case-Blanchard at case-blanchardg@kellogg.edu or 269-565-7859.
To donate directly to support the Choral Union’s upcoming tour of the Baltics, visit kellogg.edu/donate, click on the “Visual & Performing Arts” graphic, then click on “Choral Union Goes to the Baltics.”
About Music at Kellogg Community College
KCC’s Arts and Communication Department offers a robust Music Program including a brand new Associate in Fine Arts degree in Music, launching this fall. Additional music opportunities for students and community members offered through the College include individualized voice and instrument lessons, master classes, student recitals, an annual Opera Workshop and other music initiatives, including youth performance camps.
The College also host three residential choirs, including the Branch County Community Chorus, the Concentus Vocal Ensemble and the Kellogg Singers – which perform together as the KCC Choral Union – as well as resident Concert and Jazz bands.
In addition to performing regularly in its home state of Michigan, the KCC Choral Union has performed nationally at major venues in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and performed international concert tours of Ireland and Italy in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
KCC choirs have opened for several internationally renowned musicians, including Grammy Award-winning musical groups Take 6 and Sweet Honey in the Rock, and regularly collaborate with major musical organizations including the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, the Haydn Festival Orchestra, the Monroe Community Chorale and Symphony and the Sacred Music Festival of Kalamazoo.
For more information, visit kellogg.edu/music.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.