Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir participants (L. to r.) Grace Lyman Barner, Lizzie Doughty, and Alexander Doughty
The Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir will present a joint concert 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, in Lehman Auditorium.
The 30-member youth symphony, part of EMU’s Preparatory Music program, will perform “Violin Concerto No. 1” by J.B. Accolay, “Russian Sailors’ Dance” by R. Gliere, “Spanish Dance” by M. De Falla and three dances from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.”
EMHS Senior Featured Soloist
Jessica Hostetter (Credit: Zumbro Photography)
Eastern Mennonite High School senior Jessica Hostetter will be featured soloist on the violin concerto. She has played violin in the Preparatory Music Program since age nine and has been a member of the EMHS orchestra since sixth grade.
She is a member of the EMHS Touring Choir and a new women’s a cappella group, “Sweet Molasses.” She also plays violin on occasion with the worship team at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church. She plans to study music performance in college.
The SVCC Treble Choir will sing an opening set of music that will include Scarlatti’s We Will Sing, a folksong arrangement entitled A Litany for Advent, a sing-along round for choir and audience entitled O Music, and a Southern folksong, “Sourwood Mountain.” Mary Kay Adams will accompany on the flute.
The SVCC Concert Choir will perform Mozart’s “Alleluia,” a John Rutter setting of Shakespeare’s “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind” and “Under the Greenwood Tree,” another Shakespeare setting by David Willcocks.
“Abide with Me,” a hymn by local arranger/composer and EMU graduate, Celah K. Pence, will follow, and the program will close with a jazz arrangement of “My Favorite Things” featuring soloist Sophie Wellington of Staunton.
The children’s choirs and SVCC alumni will combine for a medley of “O Freedom” and “Siyahamba,” both presented at an award ceremony for Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa held Sept. 21 at JMU.
A suggested five dollar donation at the door will benefit EMU’s Preparatory Music program and SVCC tuition assistance fund.