.jpg)
W&L Choirs Offering Fall Concert
The choirs at Washington and Lee will present the Fall Choral Concert on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. in Wilson Concert Hall.
Performing along with the Washington and Lee University Singers will be Cantatrici, the treble choir, and the W&L Glee Club, a Lexington tradition since the 19th century, under the direction of Dr. Shane M. Lynch and professor Lacey R. Lynch, assisted by members of the signature Choral Conducting Mentorship Program (CCMP).
The musical journey will range from Heinrich Schütz’s classic “Singet dem Herrn” for double choir to the powerful setting of the Islamic chant “Zikr” by renowned Indian composer A.H. Rahman.
The concert opens with the members of Cantatrici singing the spirited Cuban text of “Sigue.” The Glee Club will immediately follow with the raucous “In Taberna” from Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.”
Following works by Morten Lauridsen, Shih Ching-Ju, and Stacey V. Gibbs, the combined choirs of Cantatrici and the Glee Club will then perform Rahman’s setting of “Zikr.”
Closing out the first half will be Jacob Naverud’s touching setting of “Lunar Lullaby,” performed complete with staging, lighting, and an original dance choreographed and performed by Elise McPherson ’26, a member of both the University Singers and the W&L Repertory Dance Company.
The University Singers will then take the stage following a brief pause. The University Singers continues to be recognized as one of the finest a cappella choirs in the region. They have been recognized for their excellence in performance by the American Choral Directors Association, the Virginia Music Educators Association, and in featured solo choir programs at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the National Cathedral, and the Academy of Music. As an internationally competitive choir, the University Singers have received numerous festival/competition invitations, placements and awards, including from the City of Derry International Choir Festival (first American choir ever to compete in Derry), the Cork International Choir Festival, and the International Choral Competition Gallus-Maribor in Slovenia.
Their half of the program will open with the Blake Wilson’s modern setting of the 7th century Old English work “Cædmon’s Hymn,” followed by Josu Eberlin’s new setting of “Ave Maria, Gratia Plena.”
After a performance of one of Heinrich Schütz’s most famous polychoral motets, the choir will transform the audience in preparation for the arrival of Dr. André Thomas in Lexington at Grace Episcopal Church on Nov. 9. . Thomas, one of the most important American choral conductors of the past century, will conduct his “Mass — A Celebration of Love and Joy” in memory of Lexington resident Dr. Robert Glidden in a collaboration featuring singers from Southern Virginia University, Grace, the Rockbridge Youth Chorale, and other residents. The University Singers will preview two movements from this joyous work before the concert closes with W&L’s traditional favorite, “Shenandoah.”
Tickets are free, but required, and are available at the Lenfest box office. For more information, visit https://my.wlu. edu/lenfest-center/fall-choral-concert.
