President's Concert Set for April 20

April 16, 1996

by Richard Veit

The Baylor University School of Music will present its annual President's Concert-the first in this series to honor Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr.-at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20. The performance will be held in Jones Concert Hall under the direction of Stephen Heyde, director of orchestral activities and Conductor-in-Residence.
Two choral ensembles, the A Cappella Choir and the Concert Choir, will perform, as will members of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra. The A Cappella Choir is directed by Donald Bailey, director of choral activities and director of vocal studies, and the Concert Choir is led by Wesley Gilliland, assistant professor of choral music and director of ensembles. The program will include choral music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Mussorgsky.
Beethoven's "Mass in C Major" was composed on a commission from Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, and the work was premiered at the prince's palace in Eisenstadt on September 13, 1807. Soloists for the Baylor performance will be soprano Debbie Siebert, alto Jennifer Jacobs, tenor Glenn Beals, and bass Brad Schliesser.
"Serenade to Music," a setting of a passage from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," was written by Vaughan Williams in 1938. Originally scored for 16 solo singers, it was first performed on October 5 of that year in London. The composer later arranged it for choir, which is how it will be presented at the President's Concert. Featured singers will be soprano Laura Domingue, alto Jennifer Jacobs, tenor Robin Roewe, and bass Connan Coker.
Mussorgsky's nationalistic opera "Boris Godunov" was heard for the first time on February 8, 1874, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its prologue contains a famous "Coronation Scene," which is full of power and pageantry. It will be sung by tenor Robin Roewe (as Prince Shouisky) and bass Tommy George (as Boris), along with the combined choirs.
The President's Concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor School of Music at 755-3991.