Music Fit for a King

Wed., Dec 07

The University Choir will travel at the end of the month to London, where at Southwark Cathedral they will take part in a performance of George Friedrich Handel's "Four Coronation Anthems," music still used at the coronation liturgies of England's monarchs. The festival concert, to be conducted by Simon Carrington, will take place on January 2, 2012, kicking off a monumental year in London that will see the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the staging of the Olympic Games. 

The choir performed in Ireland in June 2009 as part of an event recognizing the 250th anniversary of Handel's death. Carrington also conducted that performance and invited the Southern choir to return for the 2012 event. The former director of Yale University's Schola Cantorum, Carrington co-founded the British vocal ensemble The King's Singers at Cambridge University.

Composer Handel was born in Germany in 1685 and died in England in 1759. He is perhaps best known for his compositions "Messiah" and "Water Music."

Fewer than 10 students in the current choir went on the Ireland trip, says Terese Gemme, professor of music and director of the choir. "It was such a life-changing experience for the students who went on that trip, they knew they had to do it again."

Gemme refers to the cultural dimension of the trip as being especially significant for the students. "The exposure to history, and the connection of music through history is powerful," Gemme says. "This music has continued in this place since 1759." 

Southwark Cathedral, has stood for over 1000 years on the south bank of the river Thames in London. Shakespeare and Chaucer are among the historical figures believed to have worshipped there. 

Several choirs from the United States and Great Britain will take part in the London concert. Gemme estimates that about 85 singers will participate; nearly half of those singers will be from Southern. Southern will be represented by 53 people, including not only the choir members, Gemme and the accompanist, but also Donna Jean Fredeen, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and Walter and Esther Stutzman, whose family foundation is helping to support the trip. 

The Stutzman Family Foundation, which has supported other programs and initiatives in the Music Department over the past few years, has donated close to $100,000 toward the cost of the trip. The cost per student to travel to England and participate in the concert is $2,595. To help ease the financial burden on the students, President Stanley Battle is donating proceeds from the university-sponsored Diane Bish organ concert, held last spring at Battell Chapel. Each student is responsible for contributing $600 towards his or her fees, and the choir has held fundraisers such as sales of candles, cookie dough and candy bars. The fundraising began a couple of years ago, after the Ireland trip, Gemme says.

Walter Stutzman says, "it is the Foundation's goal to enable students to become the musicians they want to be.  As important as instruction, programs and facilities are, music is ultimately something to be shared. Southern's educational mission has recently placed increased emphasis on integrating a global perspective. One way to achieve this goal is to enable students to travel overseas.  Many types of learning, formal and informal, take place when musicians work together in an international venue.  This was certainly the case with the University Choir's trip to Ireland in 2009 and will no doubt be the case as the choir celebrates the opening of the 2012 Olympic year in London."

Prior to the London concert, the choir will do its own concert at Bristol Cathedral in Bristol, England. While in London, they will visit such historical sites as Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge, among others. A celebration dinner will follow the concert. Overall, the trip will be eight days long.

The choir performed the Coronation Anthems at its winter concert on Dec. 5, along with brass, timpani, and strings. About 70 singers performed at this concert.

"It will be exciting to be in London on New Year's Eve," Gemme says.