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RELEASED: May 2, 2001
DANVILLE, KY—The Centre College Choral Ensemble will present a free concert on Sunday, May 6, at 8 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church of Danville. Guest director Paul McGahie will conduct.
The concert will feature both sacred and secular mini-masterpieces ranging from Renaissance polyphony to swing jazz. The Centre Chorale and the Centre Singers will perform both independently and together.
A unique feature of this concert will be several antiphonal works involving choirs and soloists that make use of the unique acoustical space of the Presbyterian Church sanctuary. Franz Bieble's popular setting of "Ave Maria" and Orlando di Lasso's famous "Echo Song" will both feature "echo" singers performing from the balcony. In Mendelssohn's beautiful "Heilig" (Holy) the combined choirs will surround the audience members enveloping them in a stereophonic wash of sound.
The Centre Chorale will perform two American folk songs accompanied by Centre student Noble Powell. They will also perform a swinging Mac Huff arrangement of Duke Ellington's jazz standard, "It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing."
The Centre Singers will open the second half of the concert with a triptych of songs employing the traditional Gregorian chant "Adoro te" (We Adore Thee). Here the peace of the Christian faith will be musically contrasted with the frenetic mischief of the devil as depicted in the modern work "Daemon" by Gyorgy Orban. The Singers will also sing in Polish, Russian, and French before joining the Chorale in the rousing spiritual "Let Me Fly!" to close the concert.
Director Paul McGahie is completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral and Orchestral Conducting at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. He has been active as a conductor, chorus master and teacher for two decades. He served as Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor at Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, FL. He founded the Cleveland Choral Artists, a professional chamber choir.
For more information call (859) 238-5424.
Communications Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422
Public Information Coordinator: Telephone 859-238-5714