The UNLV Choral Ensembles present their annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall. The concert theme, “Evocations,” presents 200 singers in choral works from over a dozen composers, each text an uplifting or meditative evocation. Joseph Svendsen conducts the Concert Singers and Argenta. The Chamber Chorale, Varsity Glee Club, and Las Vegas Master Singers are conducted by David Weiller. The choirs are accompanied by pianists Zheni Atanasova, Maria Kolesnyk, and Jae Ahn-Benton.
Argenta sings renaissance music of Orlando di Lasso and contemporary works by Irish composer Michael McGlynn and American composer Andrea Ramsey. The Varsity Glee Club offers two popular folk songs arranged by John Rutter and Goin’ Up to Glory, a spiritual by André Thomas. The Chamber Chorale presents music of Johannes Brahms and two settings of the biblical text “I Am the Rose of Sharon,” as imagined by colonial composer William Billings and contemporary Swiss composer Ivo Antognini.
The Concert Singers perform music of early baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi with instruments, an anonymous setting of Bache, bene venies, and Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One by Canadian composer Healey Willan. The choir also offers a dramatic setting of Beat! Beat! Drums by Jeffrey Van, the contemplative Even When He is Silent by Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen, and Everything is Sound by American songwriter Jason Mraz. The Las Vegas Master Singers, one of the city’s premiere choral organizations and chorus-in-residence for the Las Vegas Philharmonic, present sacred music of the renaissance era and 20th century, along with All Works of Love set to the words of Mother Teresa, and the rousing Triumphal Scene from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, Aida.
All UNLV choir alumni are invited to join in the traditional singing of the UNLV Alma Mater at the conclusion of the performance.
The university choral ensembles enjoy a reputation for vibrant performances. The choirs recently were praised for a concert described as “…glorious, yet disciplined. The choruses performed with unaffected charisma.” Annual tours have encompassed the southwestern United States as well as Hawaii, New York, Mexico, and Canada.
Tickets may be purchased at the UNLV Performing Arts Center Box Office, at pac.unlv.edu, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787). General admission is $10; senior citizens, military and UNLV faculty/staff tickets are $8. UNLV students and high school vocal music students from the Clark County School District may receive one free ticket by presenting valid student ID at the box office.
