Messiah College Choral Arts Society and Concert Choir perform Vaughan Williams and Beethoven with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
March 14th, 2008
GRANTHAM, Pa. (March 14, 2008) — Celebrating its 62nd year, the Messiah College Choral Arts Society, directed by Linda Tedford, will perform with the Messiah College Concert Choir and the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, directed by Stuart Malina, to present two concerts of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem” and Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony.” The concerts will be held on April 5 at 8 p.m. and April 6 at 3 p.m. at the Forum, 5th and Walnut Streets in downtown Harrisburg. The Susquehanna Valley Chorale, directed by Linda Tedford, and the Alumni Chorale of Lebanon Valley College, directed by Greg Mauroni, will also perform at the concert. Tickets for this performance are available online at www.harrisburgsymphony.org or by calling the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra ticket office at (717) 545-5527.
About the program
When Ralph Vaughan Williams was asked by the Huddersfield Choral Society to write a piece in celebration of their centennial in 1937, he produced an eloquent plea for peace in “Dona Nobis Pacem.” At the time, the prospect of renewed war in Europe was all too real. Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem” heavily features texts from the poetry of Walt Whitman and the scriptures to challenge listeners to face the heartache of war and cry out for peace. Audiences are easily touched with the dramatic and soulful melodies throughout the six movements of the piece.
Known as the forefather of Romantic music, Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” was the first to incorporate the human voice in a major symphonic piece. He used the poem “Ode an die Freude,” or “Ode to Joy,” written by Friedrich Schiller to create what is today one of the most widely recognized pieces of music around the world. The symphony concludes with the chorus singing the poem set to the music.
About the director
Linda Tedford is Messiah College’s director of choral activities and conductor of the Messiah College Concert Choir, Men’s Ensemble and Chamber Singers. Tedford is the founder and conductor of the Susquehanna Chorale, the Susquehanna Youth Chorale, and the Susquehanna Children’s Chorale, based in Hershey, Pa. She holds a master’s degree in conducting from Temple University, where she studied with renowned conductor Robert Page. She also studied with contemporary musicians Gregg Smith, Dale Warland and the late Robert Shaw.
About the Messiah College Choral Arts Society
The choir, made up of 60 members from Messiah College and the greater Harrisburg community, was founded by Messiah music professor Earl “Prof” Miller in 1946. It was originally called the Alumni Oratorio Society. Later, the name was changed to the Grantham Oratorio Society to emphasize the community in which they participated. Earl Miller directed the choir for 22 years, followed by Messiah professors Ronald Sider, who led the group for 28 years, and Ronald Miller, the 1997 interim director. In 1998, the choir was renamed the Messiah College Choral Arts Society to reflect the group’s rich heritage with the college.
About Messiah College
Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls 2,800 undergraduate students in 55 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.