UCO Choral Concert to Focus on Love

September 27, 2006

The University of Central Oklahoma School Of Music will present a fall choral concert at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13 at UCO’s Mitchell Hall Theater.

Led by new UCO Director of Choral Studies, Dr. Karl Nelson, the performance will feature the Concert Chorale and the Chamber Choir as they perform a variety of vocal music from the past five centuries focusing on the universal emotion of love.

The Concert Chorale, which consists of 40 students, will begin by performing a polychoral madrigal titled, Amor dove mi guidi by Giovanni Gabrieli, followed by a set of Liebeslieder Walzer (Lovesong Waltzes) by Johannes Brahms. Accompanying the chorale will be faculty members Dr. David Forbat and Mr. Richard Jobe.

In addition, the group will perform a work from Debussy’s Trois Chansons, as well as music from 20th century composers Samuel Barber, Kirche Mechem and Eric Whitacre.

Composed of 12 members, the Chamber Choir will perform a madrigal by Claudio Monteverdi and two jazz arrangements of George and Ira Gershwin’s Embraceable You and Love is Here to Stay, as well as pieces by Robert Young and Morten Lauridsen.

“I feel I am very fortunate to be working with such a group of talented musicians in my first year at UCO. This concert will be a culmination of many things we’ve worked on in the semester,” said Nelson.

Nelson earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts and a Master of Music Degree in choral conducting from Louisiana State University, as well as a bachelor of science in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A native of the Chicago area, he has experience teaching on the grade school, college and community levels.

“I know this concert will be a great way to start off the year,” said Nelson.

For more information, contact the UCO Music Department at 974-5004.

Page updated 9/27/06