Concert to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary

Northwestern College will host a “Happy Birthday, USA” concert featuring iconic works performed by the White Spruce Chamber Players on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. The concert is open to the public, and a freewill donation will be collected to support the guest ensemble.  

The White Spruce Chamber Players is a collective of musicians based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Named for the state tree of South Dakota, the group was founded in 2016 by a group of teachers and professional musicians who believe chamber music’s stuffy reputation is undeserved. The collective performs across the region with a repertoire that includes both new and underperformed works.

The concert will feature Antonin Dvorák’s String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, known as the “American,” as well as Aaron Copland’s Suite from “Appalachian Spring.” Dvorák’s piece was inspired by the summer he spent in Spillville, Iowa, in 1893. Though composed with traditional European structures, the piece incorporates rhythms and melodies from American folk songs and indigenous music. Copland’s work was originally composed in 1943–44 as a ballet for Martha Graham’s dance company. The composition evokes the pioneer spirit of early America and features iterations of the Shaker melody “Simple Gifts.”

“We are thrilled to bring these staples of chamber music literature to Orange City in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary,” says Laura Cooper, the ensemble’s cofounder and principal cellist. “Performing Dvorák’s ‘American Quintet’ in Iowa—where it was originally inspired and composed—is especially meaningful, and we can’t wait to share this music with our audience.”

The Copland piece will be conducted by Dr. Angela Carlson, associate professor of music and director of instrumental studies and music education at Northwestern College.

For more information about the White Spruce Chamber Players, visit whitespruce.org.