Northwestern's music department to present Raider Nation Celebration concert

Northwestern College’s music department will present its annual Raider Nation Celebration concert on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. in Christ Chapel. The concert will feature performances by the A cappella Choir, Heritage Singers, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Symphonic Band and Women’s Choir. The concert is free and open to the public.

The A cappella Choir will premiere “For Those Who Love” by Ching-ju Shih, commissioned in memory of 2003 Northwestern alumnus Andrew Paterik. The ensemble will also share “O Sifuni Mungu” arranged by David Maddux, a culturally diverse piece with rhythmic and percussive nuances and surrounded by the hymn tune “All Creatures of our God and King.”

The Women’s Choir will sing “A Poet’s Prayer,” composed by Valerie Rodway and arranged by Dan Sailer, Northwestern’s percussion and Women’s Choir instructor. The ensemble’s second piece, by Robert Lowry and arranged by Robert Hugh, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” includes “Amazing Grace” as a countermelody. The Heritage Singers’ selection is “Miniyama Nayo” by Paul John Rudoi, a piece with dance pulses, interesting harmonies, and the playful use of syllables and rhythmic patterns.

Northwestern’s Jazz Band will perform “Hunting Wabbits” by Gordon Goodwin, a tribute to cartoons, using a solo soprano saxophone and wild unaccompanied sections. The Symphonic Band’s selections will include Robert Sheldon’s “Prelude on an Old English Hymn,” featuring the hymn tune “All Creatures of our God and King,” and William Schuman’s “George Washington Bridge.”

The Orchestra will present “Rhosymedre” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a tune often heard as an organ prelude. The ensemble will also perform “Csárdás” by Vittorio Monti, which will feature a violin solo by Northwestern senior Kaylee Henn. Henn is the recipient of the Bogaard Memorial Scholarship in Strings.

Also during the concert, freshman Anna Van Holland will perform a French horn solo and junior Ashlynn Anderson will sing a solo. Van Holland is the recipient of the Ritsema Family Music Scholarship and Anderson is the recipient of the Cyndy Rowenhorst Memorial Scholarship.

A full schedule of the Raider Nation Celebration Homecoming and Parents Weekend events can be found at www.nwciowa.edu/homecoming.