College of DuPage Student Music Ensembles Showcased in Mid-Semester Concert at the McAninch Arts Center October 16

GLEN ELLYN, IL – Five College of DuPage (COD) student music ensembles unite for a mid-semester concert at the McAninch Arts Center located on the campus of College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The diverse and entertaining program of 16 works will include Adam Miller’s rhythmic “Rainfall;” distinguished contemporary jazz composer Cedar Walton’s “Cedar’s Blues,” Felix Mendelssohn’s reverent choral work, “Verleih uns Frieden;” a gospel version of Paul Simon’s Grammy Award-winning hit ,“A Bridge Over Troubled Water;” Franz Joseph Haydn’s composition for wind instruments, “Selections from Feldpartie in C;” David O’Fallon’s beautiful and creative “Gaelic Overture;” Thomas Weelkes masterful madrigal, “Hark, all ye Lovely Saints;” Thomas Tallis’ well-known anthem, “If Ye Love Me;” among  others.  A list of the full program follows this release.

Twice a year, the MAC offers this showcase of student music ensembles. The concert demonstrates some of the wide variety of music-making in the College of DuPage music department. The two choirs and three instrumental ensembles represent the very best in guided collaborative music-making, from the traditions of classical chamber orchestra to the free improvisation of small group jazz, a broad spectrum of the contemporary percussion ensemble and both small and large choral ensembles. Under the leadership of professional faculty, COD students have the opportunity to grow as music-makers. This concert gives audiences a chance to peer into the window of that process.

“We’re very proud of our talented and energetic music students. This concert is sure to pique the interest of anyone who likes to see music students learning and demonstrating their craft,” says COD Music Department Chair Lee Kesselman.

The following ensembles will be performing at the Oct. 16 concert:

The Small Group Jazz Ensemble. This 10-member ensemble, under the direction of Tom Tallman, addresses the many aspects of jazz including improvising and constructing small-group arrangements.

The Percussion Ensemble. This 14-member ensemble, under the direction of Ben Wahlund,  is a chamber ensemble that performs repertoire written specifically for the percussion family as well as transcriptions adaptable to percussion.

The Chamber Orchestra. This eight-member orchestra, under the direction of Alison Gaines, focuses on reparation and performance of music for small orchestra.

The Concert Choir. This 42-member enthusiastic student choir, under the direction of Lee R. Kesselman, sings classical and lighter fare with piano accompaniments

The Chamber Singers. This 25-voice select chamber choir, under the direction of Lee R. Kesselman,   specializes in unaccompanied vocal chamber music of all periods with particular emphasis on Renaissance madrigal and motets, music of the 20th century.

For more information about the ensembles, visit cod.edu/programs/music.

Five College of DuPage (COD) student music ensembles are showcased  in a mid-semester concert at Glen Ellyn’s McAninch Arts Center located on the campus of College of DuPage (425 Fawell Blvd.) Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5. For more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000.

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355,  and houses three performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), plus the Cleve Carney Art Gallery, classrooms for the college’s academic programming and the Lakeside Pavilion. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 75,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.

The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org. You can also learn more about the MAC on Facebook at facebook.com/AtTheMAC or on twitter at twitter.com/AtTheMAC.

McAninch Arts Center (MAC) is supported in part by the College of DuPage Foundation. Established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community.

Programs at the MAC are partially supported through funding from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.