Forest City, Iowa – The Waldorf College Choir will present its first annual Choral Masterwork Concert on Monday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City.
The Choir will perform Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, one of the most beloved major works in the choral repertoire. An impassioned plea of mercy for the soul of the departed, the work is full of drama, depicting the fires of hell and the angelic choirs of paradise.
Over the last few weeks, the choir has been perfecting the piece. “The students have learned to be particularly tuned in to the other voices in the choir, both within their sections and in the choir as a whole,” said Dr. Adam Luebke, Waldorf Choir Director and assistant professor of music.
“Because the piece is in Latin, we’ve also worked hard at pronunciation and truly understanding the meaning of the words as a plea for eternal rest in heaven rather than eternal damnation in hell,” continues Dr. Luebke.
The requiem is a setting of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead. “Fauré’s Requiem is very appropriate for a church setting with organ accompaniment as it was composed to be sung during a worship service,” explains Dr. Luebke.
Nancy Farndale will accompany on the organ, assisted by Travis Beck. Two students will be featured as soloists: Britt Banks, a senior soprano from Sioux City, Iowa, and Josh Boone, a sophomore baritone from Norfolk, Neb.
Admission to the concert is free.
