Lycoming College News

Choir to appear with Williamsport Symphony Orchestra

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Choir will appear with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9. Op. 125 in D Minor” conducted by Gerardo Edelstein on Sunday, May 1, at 3 p.m., in the Community Arts Center in downtown Williamsport.

The piece was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony. During the performance, nearly 200 singers comprised of the Lycoming Choir, the State College Choral Society and soloists Meredith Mecum, Lorie Gratis, Tim LeFebvre and Jerry Grahame will join the orchestra for the final movement, which features words taken from "Ode to Joy," a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additions made by the composer.

“This will be the first time the Lycoming College Choir has appeared with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra,” says Dr. Fred Thayer, professor of music and director of choirs at Lycoming. “The choir is extremely excited for the opportunity.”

As part of the concert, titled “Austro-German Connections,” the symphony will also perform “Adagietto” from G. Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5” and F.J. Haydn’s “Cello Concert in C Major” with soloist Andrew Rammon, an instructor of music at Lycoming. To view a short video on the performance, click here.

The Williamsport Symphony Orchestra is offering Lycoming College alumni tickets for any seat in the house at half-price using the coupon available here. Tickets are free to all Lycoming students who present a valid student I.D.

The concert is co-sponsored by Lycoming College and Attorneys for the Arts.

Concert Band to perform at Community Arts Center

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Concert Band will perform Wednesday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Arts Center in downtown Williamsport.

William Ciabattari, assistant professor of music and director of bands at Lycoming, will conduct the concert band in a program that includes Holst’s “First Suite in E flat,” Grainger’s “Colonial Song,” Hultgren’s “Bushdance” and Bizet’s “Carmen Fantasy” with flute soloist Leslie Cullen.

The event is free and open to the public.

Lycoming College is a national liberal arts and sciences school dedicated to the undergraduate education of 1,400 students. It is recognized as a Tier 1 institution by U.S. News and World Report. Founded in 1812 in Williamsport, Pa., Lycoming is one of the 50 oldest colleges in the nation.

Symposium panel discusses health care

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:48:41 EST

Chamber Choir to perform

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Chamber Choir will perform "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace," Friday, April 8, at 8 p.m. in Clarke Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

The choir, directed by Fred Thayer, will perform the work by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins with accompaniment from Dale Orris and David Bailey on trumpet, Bryan Stillman on alto saxophone, Don Fisher on percussion, Richard Lakey on piano and Kristin Ivers on keyboard.

"The Armed Man" is an anti-war piece based on the Catholic Mass. The work combines texts from the mass with those from other religious and secular sources, including the Islamic call to prayer, the Bible and the Mahabharata. It was dedicated to the victims of the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict.

The Chamber Choir is comprised of about 25 students who are chosen by audition from the larger College Choir and incoming freshmen. Like the other Lycoming choirs, the Chamber Choir is comprised of students from all academic fields and majors. The Chamber Choir''s repertoire is diverse, including everything from large-scale choral works to vocal jazz.

Tour Choir to hold “Homecoming Concert”

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Tour Choir will hold a “Homecoming Concert” on Wednesday, March 23, at 8 p.m. in Clarke Chapel following their spring break tour of Florida.

Pieces to be performed include Charles Wood’s “Hail, Gladdening Light,” George Shearing’s “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind,” Eric Whitacre’s “Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine,” and spirituals “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” arranged by Jack Schrader and “Ride the Chariot” arranged by William H. Smith. The concert also includes works by Felix Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Fred Thayer and Stephen Paulus.

The tour choir is selected annually by competitive audition from the larger, 105-voice Lycoming College Choir, which is made up of students from all academic fields. Approximately 40 students are chosen to perform in two weekend tours, an extended spring tour and a trip abroad every four years. The tour choir has presented concerts in every state east of the Mississippi River, California, Texas, Louisiana, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and Argentina.

In its six decades of music, the choir has performed hundreds of concerts including appearances at the National Cathedral, the Washington Shrine, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and St. John the Divine in New York City and the Crystal Cathedral in California. The ensemble also has sung with the Gregg Smith Singers, the Chieftains and Barry Manilow. The choir has been featured twice in the holiday celebrations at the White House.

Thayer also directs the College’s 28-voice Chamber Choir. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Ithaca College, a master’s degree in composition from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a doctorate from Cornell University.

Music Department presents "A Petite Symphony" with WSO

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming College and the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra will present “A Petite Symphony” as part of the Close-Up Concerts series on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 4 p.m. in the Shangraw Performance Hall of the Mary Lindsay Welch Honors Hall. Tickets are $10 each, available from the College’s Music Department at (570)321-4016.

The Williamsport Symphony Orchestra’s woodwind and brass sections, led by Dr. William Ciabattari, assistant professor of music and director of bands at Lycoming, will present a colorful program of wind ensemble classics from the last two centuries: Silvestre Revueltas’s “Tres Sonetos,” Gordon Jacob’s “Old Wine in New Bottles,” Francis Poulenc’s “Suite Français” and Charles Gounod’s “Petite Symphony.”

Choir releases ninth CD

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Choir recently released its ninth CD, “My Spirit Sings,” under the direction of Dr. Fred Thayer, professor of music and director of choral activities at the College.

The 19-track album takes its title from composer Gerald Finzi’s “My Spirit Sang All Day” and includes selections of the choir’s performances from 2009 and 2010. Other works include Bach’s “Sicut locutus est” from Magnificat, Eric Whitacre’s “Cloudburst,” Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure On This Shining Night,” two Moses Hogan spirituals and pieces by Thayer, William Averitt, David Brunner, Ron Drotos, Daniel Pinkham, Rick Sowash and Richard Strauss. Also featured is an arrangement of “All Creatures of Our God and King” by Lycoming alumna Crystal Reid.

The CD can be purchased for $15 by calling Lycoming’s music department at 570.321.4016. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Lycoming College Choir.

Since the choir’s inception in 1947 by Walter McIver, the choir has presented concerts in every state east of the Mississippi River. The choir has toured in Argentina, Canada, England, Puerto Rico and Europe.

In its six decades, the Lycoming College Choir has performed hundreds of concerts, including appearances in the National Cathedral, the Washington Shrine, the Crystal Cathedral, Coral Ridge and New York City’s Saint John the Divine and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. The ensemble has sung with the Gregg Smith Singers, The Chieftains, and Barry Manilow. The choir has been featured twice in the Holiday Celebrations at the White House.

Tour Choir announces 2011 schedule

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Tour Choir announces the schedule for its 2011 season. The Choir will hold concerts in southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut before travelling to Florida for an eight-concert tour in March.

A homecoming concert is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, at 8 p.m. in Clarke Chapel.

The Tour Choir’s full concert schedule is available here.

Conducted by Dr. Fred Thayer, the Choir has been widely acclaimed as one of the finest college musical groups in the East, with repertoire consisting of both religious and secular music that ranges from contemporary to traditional.

Since its inception in 1947 by Walter McIver, the Choir has presented concerts in every state east of the Mississippi River, California, Texas, Louisiana, Canada, Puerto Rico, Argentina and Europe. Foreign tours occur approximately every three years.

The Tour Choir is selected each year by competitive audition from the 105-voice College Choir, which is comprised of students from all academic fields. Forty students are chosen annually to perform in two weekend tours and a 10-day spring break tour.

Candlelight Service to be broadcast

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Lycoming College's 35th annual Christmas Candlelight Service will be broadcast Dec. 24 and 25 on several local radio stations. The traditional service of lessons and carols was performed by the College's choirs and instrumental ensembles on Dec. 12 in Clarke Chapel. The broadcast dates and times are as follows:

Friday, Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-noon, WRAK (1200 AM, 1400 AM and 94.9 FM)

Saturday, Dec. 25, 7-8 a.m., WBZD 93.3 FM, WZXR 99.3 FM and WILQ 105.1 FM

Music Department hosts concert featuring local elementary students

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College Music Department presented “Music on a Recorder,” a concert featuring two local elementary students and their parents, on Nov. 24 in Clarke Chapel.

The concert was directed by Aleksandrs Alunans, a senior from Towson, Md. The mother-daughter performers were Anna and Brigit Schult, and Karen and Angelina Balestino.

The concert was part of the department’s elementary music education methods course taught by Dr. William Ciabattarri, assistant professor of music and director of bands. The course invites local elementary school students to participate in an eight-week class instructed by Lycoming College students.

Five students selected for Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Five Lycoming College students have been selected for the 64^th annual Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Festival, scheduled for March 4-6 at Juniata College. Bill Blachly, Melody Johnson, Robyn Price, Lucas Reckling and Alex Rodriguez are among 80 students in the state to receive the honor.

Blachly is a junior archaeology/culture of the ancient Near East major from Sewell, N.J.

Johnson is a senior creative writing and psychology double-major from East Stroudsburg, Pa.

Price is a senior archaeology/culture of the ancient Near East and French double-major from Earlysville, Va.

Reckling is a junior archaeology/culture of the ancient Near East and religion double-major from Brookline, Mass.

Rodriguez is a senior criminal justice and philosophy double-major from Spencerport, N.Y.

The instrumentalists will join students from 20 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania to perform a concert under the direction of Mark Scatterday, conductor of the Eastman Wind Ensemble at the University of Rochester.

Annual Candlelight Service to be held Dec. 12

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Lycoming College will hold its 35th annual "Candlelight Service: A Festival of Lessons and Carols" Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. in Clarke Chapel. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a musical prelude beginning at 6:30 p.m. The event, hosted by the United Campus Ministries, is free and open to the public.

The service is a popular College tradition during the Advent season. The lessons will be led by Lycoming students, faculty and staff. The service will include performances by the College''s woodwind and brass ensembles, choir and chamber choir.

Jazz Ensemble to perform

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The Lycoming College Jazz Ensemble will perform Friday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Shangraw Performance Hall of the Mary Lindsay Welch Honors Hall.

Dr. William Ciabattari, assistant professor of music and director of bands at Lycoming, will lead the group in an evening of big band standards and seasonal tunes to include Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Jingle Bells and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

This event is free and open to the public.

Concert Band to hold performance

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.— The Lycoming College Concert Band will hold a performance on Thursday, Nov. 11, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Williamsport at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The band, led by Dr. William Ciabattari, will perform a program of classics and new works. Featured composers include Ralph Hultgren, Jack Stamp and John Philip Sousa. An ensemble of approximately 66 members, the Concert Band is comprised of woodwind, brass, and percussion players who perform wind band literature. The band performs five times annually on campus. In addition, the ensemble tours at the end of the spring semester.

Chamber Choir to hold program of motets and ballads

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.—The Lycoming College Chamber Choir will present a program of motets and ballads on Friday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. in Mary L. Welch Honors Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Directed by Dr. Fred Thayer, musical selections will include work from Michael Haydn, Bruckner, Purcell, Luboff, Lennon/McCartney, Kern and Finzi with pianists Richard Lakey and Lee Saville-Andree.

The Chamber Choir is comprised of about 25 students who are chosen by audition from the larger College Choir and incoming freshmen. Members of the Chamber Choir are selected primarily for their vocal abilities, and each is a recipient of a Choral Fellowship, receiving an annually renewable $500 tuition remission. Like the other Lycoming choirs, the Chamber Choir is comprised of students from all academic fields and majors.