Baylor's A Cappella Choir to Perform on Nov. 1

by Richard Veit

Baylor University's 75-voice A Cappella Choir will present its fall concert at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, in Jones Concert Hall in the Glennis McCrary Music Building. The choir is under the direction of Donald Bailey, director of choral activities and acting dean of the School of Music. Also featured will be the Baylor Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Heyde, director of orchestral activities and Conductor-in-Residence.
Brian Kay's arrangement of "Gaudete" ("Rejoice, Christ is born of the virgin Mary...") will open the program, followed by "O Nata Lux" ("O born light of light, Jesus, redeemer of the world...") by Morten Lauridsen.
The choir and orchestra will perform the fourth of Johann Sebastian Bach's more than 200 church cantatas. The work, titled "Christ lag in Todesbanden" ("Christ lay in the bonds of death..."), opens with an orchestral sinfonia, succeeded by seven choral sections with solos by soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
After intermission, the A Cappella Choir will present Daniel E. Gawthrop's "Sing a Mighty Song," written in 1993 for the American Choral Directors Association. The choir will record "Sing a Mighty Song" for national release on compact disc.
Two compositions by Ralph Vaughan Williams ("Rhosymedre" and "O How Amiable") will follow a performance of Paul Christiansen's arrangement of "This Is My Father's World."
Concluding the concert will be performances of three American spirituals: Peter Bagley's arrangement of "Live-a-Humble," Bailey's own arrangement of "I Am a Poor Wayfarin' Stranger" and Leonard de Paur's setting of "Certn'y Lord."
This concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor School of Music at 710-3991.