The UTC Masterchorale will present a free concert on Thursday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St.
The Masterchorale is a chorus comprised of UTC undergraduate and graduate students combined with singers from Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The chorale is conducted by Dr. Kevin Ford, director of Choral Activities at UTC and is accompanied by David Friberg, organist at Second Presbyterian Church and accompanist at UTC. Graduate student conductors this summer are Michael Ake, band director at the McCallie School and Gregory Lindquist, band and orchestra director at the Collegedale Academy. Guest pianist will be Johan Sentana and guest saxophonist will be Clint Schmidt, saxophone instructor at UTC.
Literature for this summer will progress from Baroque classical to vocal jazz works and will include two of the Coronation Anthems of G. F. Handel, two works by contemporary British composer Will Todd who is also a jazz pianist, and a piece by legendary British jazz pianist George Shearing. The piano of Mr. Sentana and saxophone of Mr. Schmidt will be featured on Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo’s “Evening Prayer.” Mr. Friberg will be featured on the Prelude in G by French composer Théodore Dubois. The major work on the concert will be what is likely the Chattanooga premier of “Requiem per coro misto” by Czech composer Zdenek Lukáš. This 5-part a cappella work ranges from beautiful tranquility one of the more violent settings of the “Dies Irae” or “Day of Wrath” text in the literature.
Admission to the concert is free but a donation will be collected that will add to the endowed Glenn Draper Choral Music Scholarship for students at UTC.