Northwestern music department presents fall showcase

As part of Raider Nation Celebration, the Northwestern College music department will present a fall music showcase on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in Christ Chapel. The concert will feature music from the A cappella Choir, Women’s Choir, Orchestra and Symphonic Band, and is free and open to the public.

The A cappella Choir will perform Stacey V. Gibbs’ lively arrangement of “Climbin’ Up the Mountain,” a traditional spiritual expressing hope for the bright future of Christ’s reign. Singing in Taiwanese, the choir will also present Ching-Ju Shih’s setting of “When the World Quiets Down (Se Gai),” which elegantly captures a yearning for love that comes with the quiet of evening.

The Women’s Choir will present “Ilus Hääl,” arranged by Laura Jekabsone in the Baltic folk music tradition, which features a rhythmic call for all the world’s voices to ring out and be heard. The choir will also sing a celebratory setting of Psalm 23 by Z. Randall Stroope that casts the beloved text as a proclamation of praise.

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the Orchestra will perform Aaron Copland’s “Hoe-Down” from the ambitious 1942 ballet, “Rodeo,” showcasing the composer’s skilled styling of traditional Americana. The ensemble will also present Yukiko Nishimura’s “Water Reflections,” providing a lavish, harmonic backdrop for deep introspection.

The Symphonic Band will perform Jess Langston Turner’s setting of “The King of Love My Shepherd Is,” an 1868 Irish hymn with original text by Henry W. Baker that was inspired by Psalm 23. “Let Freedom Ring,” arranged by United States Marine Band director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin, and “My Country ’Tis of Thee” will be performed to celebrate America’s birthday and the freedom found in Christ.

Other highlights include performances by senior Jacob Rietveld (tenor), winner of the Rowenhorst Vocal Scholarship, and senior Morgan Huls (flute), winner of the Ritsema Instrumental Scholarship. This year’s program will also feature a piano duo performed by music faculty Dr. Juyeon Kang and Janelle Phinney. The audience will be invited to join in singing a hymn, accompanied by Dr. Jeremy Owens, college organist.