The University of Lynchburg’s music department will host a series of virtual events this spring.
First up are the annual Esther C. Olin Lecture/Recital on March 25 and a faculty recital on March 29.
A highly anticipated event on April 24, the “Sing Evermore!” Choral Concert, will bring together the Concert Choir, the Lynchburg Singers, and the Choral Union in a nine-movement work composed by Gwyneth Walker. On April 30, the music department will present its annual spring highlight, “Night at the Movies” (more on that soon).
The texts in “Sing Evermore!” stretch over many centuries, from references to King Arthur’s Merlin in Emerson’s opening poem “Merlin’s Song” to “The Caged Bird Sings,” which is based on a poem by African American poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. The final, uplifting piece “Everyone Sang” was written by Siegfried Sassoon at the end of World War I.
“From early to recent, the poems have the common thread of praising music for its power, its magic, its solace, and its liberation,” the program notes read. “And it is this universal message which has inspired ‘Sing Evermore!’”
It’s also what moved Jeremy Craft, director of choral activities and music instructor, to pick this particular work at this particular time.
“I chose the work because of the messages of the text,” Craft said. “Since the pandemic began, we have not been able to sing inside, much less together. Singing is an exceptionally personal endeavor and, for many, not singing has made us lose a piece of ourselves.
“My goal with this work is to remind my singers about why they love singing, even when we have to do it across screens rather than in person.”
The choirs will be accompanied by the Calabrone String Quartet under the direction of Professor Joseph Nigro, and joined by soloists Victoria Erickson (soprano), Professor Cassie Cipolla (mezzo-soprano), and Brandon Paine (baritone).
A Small Ensembles Concert on May 3 will be followed by the final event in the series, a Jazz Ensembles Concert on May 6 — the only in-person event.
A complete list of events is below. All livestreamed concerts will be available on the music department’s YouTube channel.
For more information, email Craft at [email protected].
Spring Music Events:
Thursday, March 25
Esther C. Olin Lecture/Recital: “Off the Beaten Path: Lesser-known Works and Composers”
7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event
Monday, March 29
Music Department’s Faculty Recital
7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event
Saturday, April 24
“Sing Evermore!” Choral Concert, featuring the Concert Choir, Lynchburg Singers, and Choral Union
7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event
Friday, April 30
“Night at the Movies” Concert: “We’re Back in the Saddle Again”
7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event
Monday, May 3
Small Ensembles Concert
7:30 p.m.
Virtual Event
Thursday, May 6
Jazz Ensembles Concert
7:30 p.m.
Outside Schewel Hall (in case of rain: under the pavilion)
