The WSC Choir will be performing at the Nebraska Music Educators Association conference Nov. 21. They will present a preview of their performance Nov. 17 in Ley Theatre.
The Wayne State College Choir is presenting a preview performance of its upcoming concert for the Nebraska Music Educators Association (NMEA) conference.
The preview performance is at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in Ley Theatre, located on the second floor of the Brandenburg Building. The performance is free and open to the public.
The NMEA performance is at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Lincoln. This performance is also free and open to the public.
Each year, choirs and bands from across Nebraska submit audition recordings from the previous year to NMEA. A panel of judges evaluates the recordings and selects the top ensembles to perform at the conference. This prestigious invitation places the Wayne State Choir among Nebraska’s most accomplished collegiate ensembles.
Under the direction of Dr. Matthew Armstrong, professor of music and director of choral activities at Wayne State, the choir presents “Spirits Soaring.” The 25-minute program explores the concept that music invites, celebrates, and rejoices in the divine and human spirit. Highlights include Moses Hogan’s powerful spiritual “I’m Gonna Sing ’Til the Spirit Moves in My Heart,” and an Italian madrigal by Vittoria Aleotti.
Two “Liebeslieder Waltzes” from Op. 52 by Johannes Brahms feature pianists Shelly Armstrong and Dr. Angela Miller-Niles in a four-hand piano setting. A lively arrangement of “Hava Nagila” features Dr. Karl Kolbeck, professor of music (woodwinds) at Wayne State, on clarinet. Shelly Armstrong, collaborative pianist at Wayne State, will also conduct the choir in a tender setting of “O magnum mysterium.” Miller-Niles is a professor of piano at Wayne State and chair of the Department of Music.
“It is an honor for the choir to represent Wayne State in front of high-achieving prospective students and many of the finest music educators in Nebraska,” says Dr. Matthew Armstrong. “Last year’s choir worked hard to earn this opportunity, and this year’s group is working hard as well. We’re proud of all of them. Wayne State choirs performed at NMEA several times in the 1980s and ’90s during the Dr. Cornell Runestad era. We’re thrilled to continue that tradition. Our 2022 performance marked the choir’s return to the conference. Being selected again in our first year of eligibility is a tremendous accomplishment. Success like this reflects the support of the college, the community, the music faculty, and, most importantly, the dedication of our talented students.”
Wayne State senior Tyler Baue of Wausa, who is majoring in Music Education (Vocal/Instrumental) at Wayne State, reflected on returning to the NMEA stage.
“It was surreal my freshman year,” said Baue. “I came from a small program where music like what we performed wasn’t attainable. It was life-changing to not only sing that music but to hear it in that venue. Going back as a senior is bittersweet, the perfect ending to my time here. It really shows how far I’ve come as a musician and how we’ve grown as an ensemble.”
For more information, contact the Wayne State Department of Music at 402-375-7359.