Weekend concerts

Bloomsburg University will sponsor four concerts this weekend and next week.

A Choral Concert will be held Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 pm at First Presbyterian Church, Market St. The concert will feature the Women's Choral Ensemble, Husky Singers and Concert Choir.

The University Concert Band will perform Sunday, April 13, at 2:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts. Featured selections will include modern band music, marches and film music.

The Guitar Ensemble will perform Tuesday, April 15, at 7 pm in Haas Center for the Arts.

The Percussion Ensemble will perform Thursday, April 17, at 7:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts.

The season for holiday concerts and shows

Students Tyler Knipe and Alex Link will present a guitar recital Monday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 pm at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 123 N. Market St. The event is free and open to the public.

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Though not strictly holiday-related — An evening of 10-minute plays, projects directed by Bloomsburg University students, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in the Theatre Lab, Bookstore Annex. The event is free and open to the public.

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The fall concert by Bloomsburg University’s Jazz Ensemble will be held Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 7 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information about the Jazz Ensemble, contact Stephen Clickard, chair of music, theatre and dance, at sclickar@bloomu.edu.

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Bloomsburg University’s Guitar Ensemble will perform Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Admission is free.

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The Carols by Candlelight Concert featuring Bloomsburg University’s Concert Choir, Husky Singers and Women’s Choral Ensemble will be presented Thursday, Dec. 5, and Friday, Dec. 6,at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 345 Market St., Bloomsburg. Admission is free but tickets are required, and available at Bloomsburg University’s Mitrani Hall box office, 570-389-4409.

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An evening of one-act plays directed by Bloomsburg University students, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in the Theatre Lab, Bookstore Annex. The event is free and open to the public.

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BU’s Celebrity Artist Series kicks off the holiday season with a jazz performance, Christmas with Sara Gazarek, Friday, Dec. 6, at 8 pm in Bloomsburg University’s Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Tickets for the Celebrity Artist Series show are $30 for regular admission and $15 for BU students and children. For tickets or more information, visit www.bloomu.edu/cas or call the box office at 570-389-4409.

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The Jubilate Choir and Orchestra will hold a holiday concert Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7 pm and Sunday, Dec. 8, at 3 pm at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 123 N. Market St. The concerts by the 70-member choir and 30-member orchestra are free and open to the public.

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A Tuba Christmas will be presented Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 pm in Bloomsburg University’s Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Musicians who wish to perform may pre-register by calling 570-389-4284. Open registration will begin at noon, with rehearsal at 1 p.m.

A choral concert. A look at commune life.

Bloomsburg University’s Fall Choral Concert, featuring the Women’s Choral Ensemble, Husky Singers and Concert Choir, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in First Presbyterian Church, 345 Market St., Bloomsburg. The concert is open to the public free of charge.

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The Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association is presenting its Fall Program this Sunday afternoon, October 20, at 2 p.m. in the Andruss Library Schweiker Room. The guest speaker is Melvyn Stiriss, the author of “Voluntary Peasants: Birth of the Farm Commune.” Stiriss spent the 1970s on a commune in Tennessee, and will relate his experiences on the farm and writing the book, the first in a four-part series. Here is the link to information on the book:www.voluntarypeasants.com/ It should be an interesting presentation, so please be sure to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

Concert Choir to perform downtown Saturday

The BU Concert Choir will give a concert on Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, 345 Market St., Bloomsburg.

This concert is free and open to the public. The program will feature sacred and secular music, including Z. Randall Stroope’s “Lamentations of Jeremiah” and “Inscription of Hope” and Randall Thompson’s “Choose Something Like a Star.” World music selections will include “Dubula” by Stephen Hatfield and the “Jamaican Market Place” by Larry Farrow.” Gospel music, spirituals and vocal jazz will complete the program.

Following commencement on Saturday, May 18, the Concert Choir, BU’s Husky Singers and Women’s Chorale will perform concerts in Chicago, with proceeds benefiting cancer-related organizations in memory of the late professor Eileen Hower, who passed away in December 2012. The Concert Choir is directed by professor of music Alan Baker and accompanied by Harry Martenas, jazz musician and church organist.

More weekend music

Two Bloomsburg University ensembles will perform in the annual Knoebels Amusement Resort Pops Concert Sunday, April 28, at the park in Elysburg. BU’s Concert Band will play at 2 p.m., followed by the Jazz Ensemble at 5:30 p.m. The performances are open to park visitors free of charge.

A tribute in song this Sunday

BU's  Husky Singers and the Women’s Chorale will give a concert on Sunday, April 21, at 2:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Admission is free.

The program’s highlight will be the premiere performance of a new work from Canadian choral composer Stephen Hatfield. “As She Goes” was commissioned by the Bloomsburg University choirs in memory of Eileen Hower, assistant professor of music, who passed away in December 2012. For this new work, Hatfield combined his original text and music with musical quotations from the Celtic folk song, “Wild Mountain Thyme,” one of Hower’s favorite tunes.

Other works to be performed by the women’s ensemble include Eleanor Daley’s “In Remembrance,” sacred Renaissance works of Arcadelt and Palestrina, a variety of spirituals and gospel arrangements, and a jazz arrangement of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music.”

Selections by the Husky Singers, BU’s male vocal ensemble, will include music from the southern gospel tradition, spirituals, glee club standards, Morten Lauridsen’s “Dirait’on” and “Hol’ You Han,” a Jamaican/rap novelty song.

Directed by Alan Baker, associate professor of music, the Husky Singers specialize in doo-wop, barbershop and other popular arrangements, complete with comic sketches and Motown-inspired dance moves.

The Women’s Chorale’s repertoire ranges from ancient to contemporary pieces, directed by of Andrew Robinette, professor of music. Both ensembles are accompanied by pianist Valyn Boy.

Barber's Adagio. On marimba.

Photo by Gordon Wenzel/Impressions

This is a big deal.

BU's Percussion Ensemble will perform an arrangement of Samuel Barber's Adagio at their concert on Tuesday, April 9, at 7:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. 

Ensemble director Gifford Howarth arranged the music for marimba. The Adagio — one of the most recognizable and beautiful pieces ever written — was created for strings (though there have have haunting choral arrangements done). It's been featured in a lot of movies ... notably Platoon ... it was played for JFK's funeral and it inspired a book length critical analysis The Saddest Music Ever Written. It happens to be my very  favorite piece of music. 

It's not a piece that would seem to intuitively lend itself to the marimba. But Howarth is an ace. If it can be done ... he can do it. This is a must see.  

PS: You can hear the Adagio on YouTube. Interesting note: Barber was a Pennsylvanian and while the Adagio is his towering achievement, many of his other works are singularly beautiful. The second movement of his Violin Concerto is especially lovely. It's one of the things I like to have on the CD driving into work. — EFG

The concert will also feature Matt Savage’s “Spirits Rising,” Paul Goldstaub’s “Six Slick Stix Click Licks” and Alice Gomez’s “Marimba Flamenca.” Students Josh Nesmith and Kyle Richards will perform solos.

More recitals

BU student Scott Ashford, tenor, will give a free recital at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6, in the First Presbyterian Church, 345 Market St., Bloomsburg.

BU students Victoria Hummer and Matt Leece will give a recital Monday, April 8, at 7 pm in Haas Center, room 166. The performance will feature works ranging from the baraque and classical to modern compositions. Also look out for number featuring the piano as well.


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