(BEAVER FALLS, Pa.) – The Genevans, the student choir of Geneva College, celebrate their 81st concert season with a program entitled “Rejoice in Glory”. The choir will begin their concert season at the Reformed Presbyterian Home in Pittsburgh on March 6, 2019 before departing on an eleven-day tour to Colorado and points between. The choir will then appear at Geneva College for their annual Spring concerts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 in John White Chapel.
Coming off their “Soli Deo Gloria” tour to Europe last May, The Genevans hope to share the joy in their “Rejoice in Glory” season, a theme based on the Romans 5:2 passage, “...we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” The classical composers Felix Mendelssohn and Henry Purcell open the concert with imperatives to sing and rejoice from Psalm 98 and Philippians 4. Then a variety of 20th century composers including Stephen Paulus will contribute anthems that explore John 1:14 “we have seen His glory” and instances of glory in ancient liturgies.
Joyful Psalms 95 and 98 will be performed together for the first time in settings by Diane Whitacre, the Indiana composer who has twice written commissions for The Genevans’ anniversaries. This will be followed by a major new four-movement work by Geneva College Biblical Studies professor Dr. Byron Curtis: “Soli Deo Gloria" — To God Alone be Glory.
Genevans conductor David Kenneth Smith brings back his arrangement by William H. Doane of the familiar hymn “To God Be the Glory” and then presents a medley of three psalms from the choir’s upcoming Crown & Covenant-commissioned recording, Psalms of Glory, with new descants by former Genevans member Michael R. Kearney, who has served as the choir’s organist for several years, while writing a variety of anthems for the choir.
The Genevans will round out their program with a piano-accompanied meditation by the young composer-poet Daniel Elder which closes “…I weep with joy beneath the moon,” along with a rousing chorus from Argentina, two upbeat Spirituals by Victor C. Johnson and R. Nathaniel Dett, together with a vivacious anthem by M. Thomas Cousins on Psalm 47, “O Clap Your Hands.”
The concerts will begin with the choir’s traditional processional piece, Psalm 96 “…His glory to all nations show…,” 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 traditional surround sound style.
The Genevans’ concerts are open to the public and free of charge, though a love offering will be taken during intermission. Alternating offertories will be sung by two Senior sopranos, Rachel Stevenson, a History Education major from Tulsa, OK, and Zoë Girty, a Psychology major from Brookville, PA. During intermission, concertgoers will enjoy performances by the Grace Notes, a women’s ensemble, and the Eight Bells, a double barbershop quartet — this season replete with nine members!
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.
In addition to engagements in the Pittsburgh area, The Genevans will perform at churches and schools in Bloomington, Indiana; Shawnee, Manhattan, and Quinter, Kansas; Colorado Springs and Westminster, Colorado; Laramie, Wyoming; Grand Island, Nebraska; Pella, Iowa; and Carol Stream, Illinois over an eleven-day tour.
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. Follow the Genevans 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 115 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs 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 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.
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