(Posted March 3, 2008)

HUNTINGDON, PA. -- The Juniata College Concert Choir, culminating its tour of the eastern United States during spring break, will perform a concert of vocal music in a variety of styles, including spirituals, folk songs and international songs in a concert at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 15, at Rosenberger Auditorium in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts.

The concert is free and open to the public.

The choir is directed by Russell Shelley, Elma Stine Heckler Associate Professor of Music at Juniata

The concert program opens with spiritual songs such as "The Word was God" and "Sing Unto God." The program continues with "How Can I Keep from Singing," "Ubi Caritas," "Open Thou Mine Eyes" and "What Wondrous Love" from "Southern Harmony" by William Walker.

International themes dominate the next part of the program, opening with "Traditional Chinese Melody," by Ting Penyou. The section continues with "Louez le Seigneur (Cameroon Processional Song)," "Kaung'a yachee (Taita [Kenya] Melody)," and "Hungarian Folk Song."

Spirituals dominate the rest of the program, which includes "Humility" from the "Shaker Canon," "Lord, Make Me an Instrument," "Deep Peace," "Down in the Valley to Pray," "My God is a Rock," "Signs of the Judgment," and "Set Me as a Seal" from "Rachmaninoff Vespers."

The Juniata Concert Choir is one of three choirs performing at the college. The 50-person choir tours every spring semester, focusing its program on historical sacred music. Juniata choirs have performed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

The choir also tours internationally almost every year. Past tours have taken the ensemble to Trinidad and Tobago in 2007, Mexico in 2006, and Brazil in 2005.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.