The Genevans Celebrate 80th Anniversary With “Soli Deo Gloria” Concerts - Geneva College
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The Genevans Celebrate 80th Anniversary With “Soli Deo Gloria” Concerts

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(BEAVER FALLS, Pa.) – The Genevans, the student choir of Geneva College, celebrate their 80th concert season with a program entitled “Soli Deo Gloria”. The choir will start their concert season at the Reformed Presbyterian Home in Pittsburgh on February 28, 2018, before performing on a five day tour to Michigan and Illinois. The choir will then appear in Geneva College’s John White Chapel for their annual spring home concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16. In conjunction with their 80th anniversary, the choir will perform a reunion concert with returning Genevans alumni, along with current members on Saturday, March 17, at New Brighton Area School District Auditorium (3225 43rd St.), starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert season will end with a sixteen day tour in May to Germany, Ireland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Here is a list of performances:

Friday, March 2, 2:15 p.m.
Central Christian School
Kidron, OH

Friday, March 2, 7 p.m.
Jackson Friends Church
Massillon, OH

Saturday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Bethany URC
Wyoming, MI

Sunday, March 4, 9:30 a.m.
Bethany URC (Morning worship service)
Wyoming, MI

Sunday, March 4, 7 p.m. after the 5 p.m. evening service
Bethel Church
Lansing, IL

Monday, March 5, 8:05-9:40 a.m.
Illiana Christian High School
Lansing, IL

Monday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Ward Church
Northville, MI

Tuesday, March 6, 2:05 p.m.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Friday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.
Home Concert “Soli Deo Gloria” ~ on-campus performance
John White Chapel, Old Main
Geneva College

Saturday, March 17, 7:30 p.m.
80th Anniversary Alumni Reunion Concert “Soli Deo Gloria”
New Brighton Area School District Auditorium
New Brighton, PA

Saturday, March 24, 7 p.m.
First Lutheran Church
Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, April 7, General admission 7:30 p.m.
“Oldies Night”
Metheny Gymnasium
Geneva College

May 7-23 80th Anniversary Tour to Europe “Soli Deo Gloria”
Northern Ireland ~ Germany ~ Austria ~ Czech Republic

The program for this season has developed around the theme “Soli Deo Gloria” — To God Alone be Glory, since the choir’s May quadrennial international trip will include J.S. Bach’s church in Germany and sites related to the Reformation.  The moto “Soli Deo Gloria” is associated with the theology of reformers such as Martin Luther and the music of  J.S Bach.  These themes are brought together in the performance of Bach’s choral fugue “Ein’ Feste Burg ist unser Gott.”  A new arrangement by The Genevans' conductor David Kenneth Smith of the familiar hymn “To God Be the Glory” and a composition entitled “Soli Deo Gloria” by Byron G. Curtis will expand on the concert theme. Two new works have been commissioned for the choir’s 80th touring season which highlight how God alone is deserving of glory; these include Psalm 95 “O Come, Let Us Sing for Joy,” by Diane Whitacre, and Psalm 115 “Not to Us, O Lord,” by 2017 Geneva College graduate Michael R. Kearney.

A pair of psalms by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák will be performed by the choir, along with three psalms from their recent Crown & Covenant-commissioned recording, Psalms of Ascent.

Selections such as “Danny Boy,” a traditional Irish piece, and “Ave Verum Corpus,” by W.A. Mozart, are pieces included in the repertoire as the choir looks ahead to their May European Tour.  

The concerts will begin with the choir’s traditional processional piece, Psalm 96, and end with Christiansen’s arrangement of “Beautiful Savior” and Paul Manz’s “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” in the choir’s signature surround sound style.

The Genevans’ concerts are free of charge and open to the public, though a love offering will be taken during intermission. Offertories will be sung by Megan Siegle and Benjamin Kennedy, both seniors and double majors in Music and Communication.  They will be accompanied by Music Business major pianist Jessica Le.  During intermission, concertgoers will enjoy performances by the Grace Notes, a women’s ensemble, and the Eight Bells, a double barbershop quartet.

The Genevans choir exists to glorify God and minister to people through the gift of music. Founded in 1938, the choir continues a rich heritage of choral singing dating from the early years of the college over a century and a half ago. The mission of The Genevans is to engage audiences while glorifying God and ministering with important spiritual truth. Over the course of their long history, The Genevans have acquired a reputation for choral excellence, musical variety and spiritual impact.

For more information, including recordings for purchase, booking information, and The Genevans’ full concert schedule, visit The Genevans on the web at http://www.geneva.edu/genevans, or contact conductor Dr. David Kenneth Smith at (724) 847-6662 or at dksmith@geneva.edu. Stay up-to-date with The Genevans’ tour itinerary by following them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thegenevans.

Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 80 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and classroom options, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.

Feb 19, 2018