The Hope College Chapel Choir will present its annual post-tour "home" concert on Wednesday, March 29, at 8 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Included in the concert will be the work, "The Falconer," composed by Hope College alumnus Alfred Fedak, class of 1975. Well-known as a composer, Fedak has published several church music pieces for organ and voices, and many of his hymn tunes appear in church hymnals throughout the United States and Canada. He is director of music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Albany, N.Y., organist at St. Casimir's Church in Albany, and organist/choir director at Albany's Congregaiton Beth Emeth. Fedak's son, Benjamin, is a freshman at Hope. A percussionist, Benjamin toured the East Coast with the college's Symphonette during spring break.
The program will also include music composed by Mozart, Palestrina, Schutz, Purcell, Distler, Parry, Johnson, Schumann, Jennings, Dawson, Thomas and Fleming.
The choir will be recently returned from its March 19-22 spring break tour in the state of Washington.
The Chapel Choir was organized in 1929 and began touring annually in 1953. The choir has made a European tour five times, most recently in May of 1997, and in 1989 presented a concert tour of the former Soviet Union.
The choir is featured annually in the Hope College Christmas Vespers program, which
is heard on radio stations nationwide. The choir has appeared on the "Hour of Power"
from the Crystal Cathedral in California, and has sung for the Easterdawn services
at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The 39-voice choir is composed of student musicians representing many areas of the
college, and performs sacred and secular choral music of the past five centuries.
Students in the choir are selected by audition and maintain a vigorous rehearsal schedule
in preparation for their concert tour and other engagements throughout the year.
The choir is directed by Dr. Brad Richmond, director of choral activities at Hope. Richmond is in his second year at the college, where he teaches conducting and private voice. In addition to the Chapel Choir, he directs the College Chorus and the Collegium Musicum. Prior to his appointment at Hope, he served as director of choirs at Southeastern Louisiana University. During summers he conducts the high school choral ensembles at Interlochen Arts Camp in Traverse City.