Music Groups Presented Concerts in Scotland
Posted on Friday, July 1, 2011
The Westminster College Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble presented joint concerts May 23-June 2 at several locations in Scotland.
The group of 56 students and five adults toured as part of the "American Celebration of Music in Scotland" program, performing at Corran Esplanade Church in Oban; the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew in Inverness; St. Leonard's in the Fields Presbyterian Church in Perth; Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh; and St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Concert Choir selections included: "Ubi Caritas" by Richard Proulx, featuring William Armentrout, Amanda Gentzel, and Hannah Timm on handbells and soloists Andrew McMurray and Megan Morrow; "All Laud and Praise" by Thomas Ravenscroft; Virgil Thomson's arrangement of "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need;" Randall Thompson's "Say Ye to the Righteous" from The Peaceable Kingdom; Bob Chilcott's arrangement of "The Gift to be Simple;" "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place" by Leo Nestor; "Ae Fond Kiss" and "Comin' Thro' the Rye" arranged by Rory Boyle with text by Robert Burns; and James Erb's arrangement of "Shenandoah."
The choir's final number was Percy Grainger's arrangement of "I'm Seventeen Come Sunday," featuring a brass/percussion ensemble of Robert Marra, Douglas Swanson, and Matthew Wilson on trumpets; Katie DiCola, Sarah Haylett, Monica Ruhlman, and Victoria Walker on horns; Natalie Bok, Steve Keefer, and Kevin Schneider on trombones; Brendan Keiper on tuba; and Stephen Flory, Devin Greig, and Timothy Matyas on percussion.
The Concert Choir is under the direction of Dr. Robin Lind, Westminster associate professor and director of choral activities.
The Wind Ensemble works included: "Flourish for Wind Band" by Ralph Vaughan Williams; R. L. Moehlmann's arrangement of Bach's "Prelude and Fugue in D Minor;" "Hounds of Spring" by Alfred Reed; "Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon" by Percy Grainger; "National Emblem" by E. E. Bagley; Frank Ticheli's arrangement of "Loch Lomond;" and Claude Smith's "God of Our Fathers."
The Wind Ensemble is under the direction of Dr. R. Tad Greig, associate professor and chair of Westminster's Department of Music and director of instrumental activities.
This was Lind's third international tour, having traveled to Italy with the choir in 2003 and to the Andalusia region of Spain with the choir and the Wind Ensemble in 2007.
"We chose Scotland because of the obvious ties with the Presbyterian Church," Lind said. "Many of us have family ties as well, so many tartans came home in our luggage. We feel that we understand our Scottish and Presbyterian heritage much better now that we have seen the places we studied in the Scotland travel course."
Senior Alicia Pabrinkis was grateful for the experience: "I am so thankful Westminster gave me this incredible opportunity. Going to Scotland was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Even though I didn't get to see ‘Nessie,' I know I will never forget my time there."
Sophomore Gregory Clark enjoyed the cultural exchange: "Seeing, hearing, and even tasting the things we learned about in our travel course was a truly enriching experience that took me out of the classroom and into the real world. This trip provided us the rare opportunity to experience another culture while sharing a part of our own. I suppose it is true that music is a universal language."
"I'm grateful to have been part of such an outstanding and unbelievable experience," said senior Aaron McAfee.
"Scotland was the experience of a lifetime," said Flory, a senior. "Getting to spend 10 days with some of my closest friends and favorite professors there was unforgettable."
Armentrout, a senior, reflected on the audience: "The best moments for me were looking out during our concerts, seeing people in the audience tear up as we sang or played, especially the Scottish folk songs. You could see that they were emotionally connecting with the music that we were making."
"Among music and friends, the tour in Scotland was life-changing," said Bok, a senior. "I'm so glad I was with my terrific Westminster friends for the wonderful experience."
"It was great to see that so many people came out to enjoy our music and meet these wonderful students," Greig said. "The musicians were very respectful, representing the music program and Westminster extremely well. Their performances were truly something to be proud of."
Lind echoed Greig's opinion of the student conduct: "The students were excellent ambassadors for Westminster College, Pennsylvania, and the United States. After our first concert in Oban, one of the audience remarked on how professional and well-behaved our students are and how much they enjoyed hearing them perform and chatting with them afterward. I'm always proud to say that I teach at Westminster College and these are our students."
Canon Michael Warner, a retired Church of England clergyman, and his wife attended the concert in Inverness: "We really enjoyed the concert and felt that you deserved a larger audience. However, those who missed it missed a treat. Many thanks and congratulations to all who took part."
In addition to Lind and Greig, the group was accompanied by Harry W. Smith, former president of Westminster's Alumni Council, and his wife, Sondra, both 1966 graduates; and Ralph Peters, Lind's husband.
"The students and their leaders were great ambassadors for Westminster College," Harry Smith said. "They looked professional and acted the part as well. All the audiences reacted positively to both the singing and the Wind Ensemble. The musical highlight to me was the standing ovation in St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh."
Attending the concert at Canongate Kirk were 1979 Westminster alumni John Weisel, chair of Westminster's Board of Trustees, and his wife, Jo Ann.
Contact Lind at (724) 946-7278 or email lindra@westminster.edu for additional information.
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