Annual Fall Chorale Showcase Returns to Clarice Smith Center

Nov. 22 Program Features Mix of Classic & Contemporary Composers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Andrew Zender, azender@umd.edu
(301) 405-8151

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 — College Park, MD. — Under the direction of Edward Maclary and Nicole Aldrich, the UM School of Music will showcase its two most select vocal ensembles, the UM Chamber Singers and the University Chorale, in its annual fall concert at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Dekelboum Concert Hall on Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.

The program will begin with excerpts from J. S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, widely regarded as one of the greatest compositions in classical music, followed by Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei and Reincarnations. Agnus Dei, a request for forgiveness and peace drawn from the Catholic mass, is known to be one of the more difficult works in the choral repertoire, requiring immense lung capacity, ability to sustain long lines and an extensive dynamic range. Reincarnations features three madrigals that explore themes of love, romance and heroism, based on poet James Stephens' adaptations of earlier Gaelic songs.

Adolphus Hailstork’s Five Short Choral Works follows. A Professor of Music at Old Dominion University, Hailstork has written in a variety of genres, producing works for chorus, solo voice, piano, organ, chamber ensembles, band and orchestra; many of his compositions have become staples of the choral repertoire. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ O Clap your Hands closes the program on a joyous note. Originally orchestrated for organ, brass and percussion, the piece ranges from quiet, introspective moments to jubilant fanfare, with vocal lines taking on a speech-like quality, paying homage to Anglican chant traditions.

Tickets are $21 for the general public and $9 for full-time students with I.D. Tickets are available by visiting www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu or calling (301) 405-ARTS (2787). In support of state employees during these trying economic times, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center has joined the Maryland State Arts Council’s Arts StepUp program with a special ticket offer. The Center's StepUp offer will allow state employees to purchase two tickets per ID to any performance in our 2009-2010 season at a 20% discount, with no limit on the number of performances. Online and phone purchases will be held at will call. Use promotional code STEPUP. ID must be presented when picking up tickets.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is located at the intersection of University Boulevard (Route 193) and Stadium Drive in College Park, on the campus of the University of Maryland. A parking garage is located across the street from the Center.

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. An agency of the Department of Business & Economic Development, the MSAC provides financial support and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, units of government, colleges and universities for arts activities. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support is provided through generous grants from the Leading College and University Presenters Program of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.