University Choir to Wrap Up Winter Tour With Home Concert
The Emmy-nominated Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir is performing a concert of classic choral literature during its current winter tour.
The choir tour began January 3 and will conclude with a final performance at O’Donnell Auditorium on the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus on January 15. The tour includes performances in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska.
The 90-minute program will include many classical styles including music by Ben Allaway, Rene’ Clausen, Joan Szymko, Carol Barnett, Edwin Fissinger, Andre’ Van Der Merwe, Robert Shaw and Alice Parker. The program will also include two original compositions by Nebraska Wesleyan University music professor and resident composer Jean Henderson, as well as excerpts from “To Be Certain of the Dawn” by composer Stephen Paulus. The choir will perform this work at the American Choral Directors Association Convention in February.
The concert will close with the choir’s signature piece, Sir Malcolm Sargent’s Silent Night, which has been performed on the tour for 37 consecutive years.
The Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir is a select 53-voice ensemble. Since 1977, the choir has undertaken eight foreign concert tours and two choral residencies in Hawaii in addition to annual concert tours throughout the United States. In May, the choir performed in Sweden and Estonia.
The choir has been recognized with several honors. In November, they were selected to perform with the Munich Symphony Orchestra and conductor Phillippe Entremont in a performance of Mozart’s “Requiem.” In April, the choir will perform for the second consecutive year with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, and in May the choir will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City where they will sing Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 2, Lobegesang.”
They were the first American choir to perform in universities and conservatories in Romania and the first American choir invited to participate in the St. Peterburg, Russia International Choral Festival. They were the first collegiate choir from Nebraska selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association National Convention, and have appeared as the featured collegiate ensemble at the Nebraska Music Educators Association Convention.
The choir is under the direction of William A. Wyman who is in his 37th year at Nebraska Wesleyan. He has served as a clinician or guest conductor throughout the country. In 1996, the Nebraska Choral Directors Association selected Wyman as the “Outstanding Choral Director of the Year.” He received a Fulbright Scholar appointment at Seoul National University in Korea. In 2004, he was inducted into the Nebraska Music Educators Association Hall of Fame and in 2009 he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut. He will return to Carnegie Hall in May.
The following is the choir’s tour schedule:
Tuesday, January 3, 7 p.m.
United Methodist Church
610 2nd Street
Milford, Neb.
Free-will offering
Wednesday, January 4, 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
2622 11th Avenue
Sidney, Neb.
Free-will offering
Thursday, January 5, 7 p.m.
Grace in the Desert Episcopal Church 2004 Spring Gate Lane
Las Vegas, Nev.
Free-will offering
Saturday, January 7, 7 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
702 East Cottonwood Lane
Casa Grande, Ariz.
Free-will offering
Sunday, January 8 – 10 a.m., Morning Services
First Presbyterian Church
702 East Cottonwood Lane
Casa Grande Ariz.
Love offering
Sunday, January 8, 7 p.m.
Ascension Lutheran Church
7100 North Mockingbird Lane
Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Free-will offering
Monday, January 9, 7:30 p.m.
Episcopal Church of the Ascension
600 Gilpin Street
Denver, Colo.
Free-will offering
Tuesday, January 10, at 7 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
420 North Nevada Avenue
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Free-will offering
Wednesday, January 11, 7:30 p.m.
Arvada Presbyterian Church
5592 Independence
Arvada, Colo.
Free-will offering
Thursday, January 12, 7:30 p.m.
Trinity United Methodist Church
901 East Neal Avenue
Salina, Kan.
Free-will offering
Friday, January 13, 7 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
309 East 7th Street
York, Neb.
Free-will offering
Sunday, January 15 – 8, 9:30, 11 a.m., Morning Services
Eastridge Presbyterian Church
1135 Eastridge Drive
Lincoln, Neb.
Love offering
Sunday, January 15, 7:30 p.m.
Home Concert, Nebraska Wesleyan University,
O’Donnell Auditorium, 50th Street & Huntington Ave.
Free admission
Choir in Las Vegas
I am so impressed with the choir from your university. We enjoyed a fine concert last evening at our church, Grace in the Desert. I was happy to drive one of the members, Jordan, to his hosts, Tom and Denise Merrick, to spend the night. I picked him up there and drove him back the church this morning. All of us here are so impressed. First by the fine music we enjoyed and secondly by the deportment of all the choir members. So polite and engaging. I certainly enjoyed my conversations with Jordan and the other members with whom I spoke. Nebraska Wesleyan is well represented by these fine people. I am so glad you sent them to us.
Dan Myers
Grace In The Desert Performance
Inspirational, glorious, moving ... and so much more! The concert performed at our church has to be one of the best I have ever experienced (not heard). Their opening piece (Navajo Prayer) was so engaging and uplifting, it set the bar at a high level and we were not disappointed. Director Wyman has developed the abundant talents of these students to become first class performers. Best wishes to them on their journeys and May God Bless them all!