Renowned collegiate choir to perform locally
NEWTON — The musical sounds of the Ithaca College Choir will fill Christ Episcopal Church in Newton this Friday evening, March 14, as they perform a multi-faceted concert.
"The group is well known for their innovative workshops on the use of movement as a means of rehearsal," said Dr. Janet Galvan, the new director of the choir this year and the Director of Choral Activities for Ithaca College.
The Ithaca College Choir tours every spring, and this year is adding a stop in Newton.
"I chose Newton because Christ Church has beautiful acoustics plus any church that supports Joe Mello as its music director appreciates good music," she said, "Joe and Debbie Mello are wonderful colleagues of mine and appreciate what is involved in hosting a choir. We think that we will reach a good audience in Newton."
Galvan has conducted in New Jersey many times and knows many musicians in the area.
"We have many students from New Jersey, so this allows families, friends, choral music lovers, and potential students to hear the choir live without taking a trip to Ithaca," said Galvan.
"Ithaca, My Ithaca"
The program being performed on Friday is called "Ithaca, My Ithaca."
"It sounds as if it might be specific to us but it is specific to any place called home and anyone working toward a goal," Galvan said.
The idea came from the poem by Greek poet Cavafy called "Ithaka." Ithaca College commissioned composer Dominick DiOrio to set this text (translated to English) for the choir, and it was premiered at the annual Ithaca College Composition Competition.
"The poem is saying that Ithaca is the destination, but it is the actual journey toward the goal that is important," Galvan said.
The program grew from that, and Ithaca College began as a conservatory of music.
"We still uphold and perform from the great canon of Western European masterwork, and from that repertoire we will sing two choruses from Haydn's 'The Creation'," Galvan said.
These choruses feature soloists chosen from the choir. Their next section is about sense of home and features works by contemporary composer Dan Forre: "Entreat Me Not to Leave You and Lead Me Home."
"This section also features a great opera chorus va Pensiero, sometimes Known as 'chorus of the Hebrew Slaves' and was composed by Verdi," she added.
It also includes the DiOrio work, and the choir will demonstrate how choral repertoire is expanding by singing an arrangement of a tune by the rock band, U2.
The last section of the first half is "Tafellied," which Galvan classified as "a jolly flirtatious choral work by Johannes Brahms which will be simply staged by the choir."
Other sections follow featuring a wide range of music.
This free performance starts at 7:30 p.m. and open to the public. A free will offering will be taken. Christ Church is located at 62 Main Street, in Newton. For information about the performance by the Ithaca College Choir at Christ Church Newton, call Joe Mello at 862-268-4720, or visit www.christchurchnewton.org.