ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/20/2012)(readMedia)-- The Augustana Symphonic Band began its spring 2012 tour of the Pacific Coast on Friday, Feb. 17, stopping at two locations in Illinois before continuing to California, Oregon and Washington. To conclude the tour, the band will perform a home concert on Saturday, March 10, at 8 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.) on Augustana's campus.
Among the students peforming:
Grace Drenth, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in psychology.
Jen Youngs, a senior from Taylor Ridge, Ill., majoring in psychology and political science.
For this tour, director Dr. James Lambrecht has devised a program worthy of a band so grounded in history. The college's first ensemble was the Silver Cornet Band in 1874. This band enlisted as a unit in the U.S. Army during World War I, and mounted its first Augustana student ensemble international tour in 1928. Over the years, the Silver Cornet Band transformed into the Augustana Concert Band and the Augustana Symphonic Band, the college's premier touring band ensemble.
Read more: www.augustana.edu/x39204.xml
Students performed in Augustana College Four Choirs Concert
ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/20/2012)(readMedia)-- Cantilena Augustana, Wennerberg Men's Chorus, Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble and the Ascension Singers were the four choirs that came together to perform one concert on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Augustana College.
The choirs include :
· Cantelina Augustana, directed by Sonja Hurty, adjunct professor of music, includes female students from all classes and majors who sing for pleasure.
· Wennerberg Men's Chorus, directed by Howard Eckdahl, fellowship instructor of music, consists of male students who sing for enjoyment and have an enhanced appreciation of choral music.
· Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Michael Zemek, assistant professor of music, is a select ensemble for women who want to develop advanced choral skills.
· Dr. Zemek also directs the Ascension Singers, a group made up of singers from both Cantelina Augustana and Wennerberg's Men Chorus.
According to Dr. Zemek, the Four Choirs Concert was an opportunity for students to share what they had been studying and preparing throughout the term with their families and the community.
From your area this includes:
Hannah Barney, a Junior student from Bettendorf, Iowa, majoring in Business Administration-Marketing/
Christine Harb, a First Year student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Undecided.
Samantha Kammerman, a First Year student from Milan, Ill., majoring in Undecided.
Megan Keller, a Senior student from Taylor Ridge, Ill., majoring in Communication Studies.
Elizabeth Kuster, a Sophomore student from Bettendorf, Iowa, majoring in Creative Writing.
Samantha McGreer, a First Year student from Illinois City, Ill., majoring in Undecided.
Ingrid Schneider, a First Year student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Undecided.
Samantha McGreer, a First Year student from Illinois City, Ill., majoring in Undecided.
Elyzia Powers, a First Year student from Silvis, Ill., majoring in Undecided.
Anthony TouVelle, a First Year student from Bettendorf, Iowa, majoring in Undecided.
Ben Knapper, a First Year student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Undecided.
Jacob McManus, a First Year student from Reynolds, Ill., majoring in Undecided.
Adam Bengfort, a First Year student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Undecided.
Guy Iaccarino, a Senior student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Music General and Anthropology.
Steven Ray Trent, a Sophomore student from Eldridge, Iowa, majoring in Geology.
Manisha Kumar, a Junior student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Biology/Pre-Medicine.
"At the concert, a wide variety of styles and time periods of choral music were shared, including global world music," said Dr. Zemek. "It's this variety of music and the inclusion of different types of choirs that made th Four Choirs Concerts unique and enjoyable to attend."
ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/20/2012)(readMedia)-- After a two-week concert tour in Germany and Austria, the Augustana Choir will return to the Quad Cities for a home concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 9, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2136 Brady Street, Davenport. Under the direction of Dr. Jon Hurty, the choir will present an a cappella choir concert, with works ranging from a Gregorian chant to a Haitian Nöel. The concert is open to the public, free of charge.
Among the students performing:
Kaleigh Wall, a Junior from Eldridge, Ill., majoring in Art.
Lauren Reid, a Senior from Sherrard, Ill., majoring in Business Administration- Marketing/Communication Studies.
Rickey Rector, a Junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
The concert at St. Paul is the culmination of a 10-performance tour that intertwined "Alpha & Omega" works with four performances of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, as part of a festival to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this masterwork.
The "Alpha & Omega" concert program is divided into four sections. The first group is based on the triune God-Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer-and begins with American composer Howard Hanson's A Prayer of the Middle Ages. The second group of works is based on texts that deal with the Book of Revelation, including American composer and arranger Stacey Gibbs' Lord, If I Got My Ticket. In the third group, various cultures come to life through music, including a traditional Haitian folk song, Noél Ayisyen. The final group includes songs from the folk and hymm traditions, closing with Children of the Heavenly Father, a piece that has become a regular part of the Augustana Choir's tour programs.
Augustana College is known throughout the United States for the excellence of its choral tradition. The 70-member Augustana Choir is the school's premier choral ensemble. Founded in 1931, the Augustana Choir has performed internationally and in some of the United States' finest musical venues, including New York City's Carnegie Hall and the Chicago Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall.
About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty members and has a student-faculty ratio of approximately 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and services in our complex, ever-changing world.
