Presbyterian College choir to perform “Requiem” by Giuseppe Verdi in Augusta, Ga.

Presbyterian College choir to perform “Requiem” by Giuseppe Verdi in Augusta, Ga.

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On March 25, the Presbyterian College choir will join with the Augusta Choral Society and the Lyra Vivace Orchestra to present Giuseppe Verdi’s epic setting of the “Requiem.” Along with the Mozart “Requiem,” the setting of the “Requiem” text by Verdi is among the most frequently performed of all choral/orchestra works.

The two choirs will be joined by about 25 alumni singers of the PC choir. The combined choirs will total between 160 and 170 singers and there will be about 45 instrumentalists in the orchestra. The total number of performers will exceed 200. Dr. Ron Davis of the PC music faculty will serve as the rehearsal pianist for the only combined choral/piano rehearsal in Augusta on March 24.

Christian Elser, PC’s full-time voice professor and the founder and director of GLOW Lyric Theater, heads up a cast of four professional soloists that include Candace Dickinson, a faculty member at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts; Magdalena Wor, a Polish-born mezzo-soprano who has sung with many symphonies and opera companies including The Metropolitan Opera and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; and, Timothy Miller, a concert and operatic tenor known for his stirring rendition of “God Bless America” at Atlanta Braves home games.

“Most of the repertoire performed in any academic year by the college choir is either unaccompanied or is accompanied by piano or organ,” said Dr. Porter Stokes, professor of music. “However, I believe that it is also important for college choral students to experience the thrills of singing a major work with an orchestra. It’s a completely different performance dynamic that really challenges our voices and stamina.  And, for many of our students, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing the Verdi Requiem.”

Much of the financial responsibility for the performance is being borne by the Augusta Choral Society with assistance by a grant from The REA Charitable Trust and other supportive organizations in the Augusta, Ga., area.

The performance will be held at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center in Augusta, Ga. Tickets are available for the 7:30 p.m. performance at https://www.augustacs.org.

 


Presbyterian College is located on a striking 240-acre campus in Clinton, between Columbia and Greenville, S.C. Offering challenging academics and a culture of honor, ethics, and service that prepares students to be leaders in communities, PC offers its students the benefit of engaging with an exceptional faculty who take individual interest in their students’ well-being, both personally and in the classroom. The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy is dedicated to the ideals of leadership, honor to the profession, and service to the community. For more information about Presbyterian College, visit www.presby.edu.