CWC Fall Music Concert set for Tuesday

The Central Wyoming College music department will present a fall concert on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm in the Robert A. Peck Arts Center Theater. The concert will feature the College Band, under the direction of Kelly Dehnert and the Collegiate Chorale, under the direction of Sharon Dalton. The concert is free and open to the public.

 

The College Band is performing both old and new band works including a piece from Richard Wagner’s “Tannhauser” opera, “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral.” In addition, an arrangement of “Crown Him With Many Crowns,” a 1800s hymn and a Scottish three-movement work by Barry Kopetz, a former director of bands at the University of Utah. The band will finish with “Meraner-Humor Marsch” by Karl Pichler. This Austrian march was arranged by Josef Wetzinger, a friend of Dehnert.

“I have worked with Josef for nearly 20 years and he has actually conducted the CWC Band in concert,” Dehnert said. Wetzinger brought the Steinach Community Band to Fremont County in 2017 for performances and was very well received.

“Austrian marches are performed very differently than American,” Dehnert said and added tempos are not so strictly adhered to.

The Collegiate Chorale will perform a variety of folk tunes and a traditional spiritual. The Chorale performance will open with an American Folk Song, “Sing On! Dance On!” followed by the spiritual, “Sit Down Servant.” Next in the program is Z. Randall Stroope’s “The Pasture,” set to the Robert Frost poem of the same name, reminding us of the simple pleasures in life. The chorale continues with the Scottish folk song “Charlie Is My darling” arranged by Sarah Rimkus, an American composer who has a Ph.D. in sacred choral music composition from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. This arrangement has been performed in the throne room of Buckingham Palace. 

The chorale concludes with “Bright Morning Stars,” a traditional Appalachian song. Arranger Shawn Kirchner made an addition to the original lyrics which asks “O where are our dear children?’ The response: “They’re upon the earth a-dancing,” was inspired by the image of those who have passed on and those who are yet present upon the earth calling to each other “across eternity.” The piece will feature Wes Wesaw, baritone.

 

We have been touched by the beautiful melody, harmony, and text of this magnificent piece and are anxious to share it with others. ”

Sharon Dalton, music professor