music at EMU<\/a>, the Chamber Singers will blend the theme of Mary with unique holiday songs and carols. The 75-minute concert will include “Mary’s Song,” a piece composed by Celah Pence, a 1986 EMU alum, “Gabriel’s Message,” a Basque carol arranged by Joshua Shank and “Missa Brevis in Honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis” by Lithuanian composer Kristina Vasiliauskaite.<\/p>\n“Mary’s Song” and “Gabriel’s Message”<\/h3>\n
Commissioned earlier this year, Mary’s Song is a four-stanza piece that focused on the different stories in Mary’s life, according to Pence. “It was a meaningful experience, looking through Mary’s eyes at the events of her life and the responses they seemed to evoke in her,” said Pence.<\/p>\n
Pence said two unique experiences in Mary’s life\u2014the crucifixion and friendship between Mary and her sister, Elizabeth\u2014shaped the composing process.<\/p>\n
“I was touched by her spiritual connection Mary had with Elizabeth,” said Pence. “In addition, the crucifixion took on new levels of stark reality for me as I pondered what it would be like to lose an adult child and not be able to offer any solace or help in their darkest hour.”<\/p>\n
“The concert is focused around Mary\u2019s song, the Magnificat, a song that has been an important part of the church\u2019s traditions for centuries,” said Nafziger. “The song combines both praise and justice that will be explored in this concert.”<\/p>\n
Additional concert repertoire<\/h3>\n
The repertoire for the concert includes also a variety of carols and hymns related to Mary and the Magnificat: music of medieval Spain, Guatemala, African-American spirituals, and U.S. composers Ben Allaway and Craig Carnahan.<\/p>\n
Admission to the program is free; donations are welcomed for the EMU music student scholarship fund.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) Chamber Singers will usher in the Christmas season with a concert focused on Mary, Jesus\u2019 mother, Thursday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., in Martin Chapel. 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