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The Tabor College Oratorio Chorus and Community Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Brad Vogel, Professor of Choral Music, presented Handel’s Messiah Sunday, Dec. 6., at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Point, in Hillsboro.
Solos were sung by Tabor seniors Justin Moore, Emily Olson and Kayla Vix; juniors Darren Enns and Aaron Stepanek; and sophomore David Vogel. Lisa Loewen Kroeker, a 2004 graduate of Tabor, also performed as a soloist.
First performed in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, Messiah is Handel’s most famous composition and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature. Although the work was conceived and first performed for Easter, it has become traditional to perform the oratorio during Advent, the preparatory period of the Christmas season.
“Much of the Hillsboro community sees Messiah as the beginning of the Christmas season,” said Vogel. “The college is happy to bring this music to the community.”
Dr. Sheila Litke, Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, played the harpsichord, and Stephen Vincent, Adjunct Instructor of Organ, had the privilege of playing Messiah’s familiar melodies on the church’s newly-restored pipe organ.
The vintage Kimball organ, restored by master organ builder Burton Tidwell of Marion, Kan., was donated to the church by Calvary United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan. The restored organ was heard for the first time in public at this performance of Messiah.
HILLSBORO, Kan. — The Tabor College Oratorio Chorus and Community Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Brad Vogel, Professor of Choral Music, will present Handel’s Messiah at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6., at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Point, in Hillsboro.
Solos will be sung by Tabor seniors Justin Moore, Emily Olson and Kayla Vix; juniors Darren Enns and Aaron Stepanek; and sophomore David Vogel. Lisa Loewen Kroeker, a 2003 graduate of Tabor, also will perform as a soloist.
First performed in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, Messiah is Handel’s most famous composition and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature. Although the work was conceived and first performed for Easter, it has become traditional to perform the oratorio during Advent, the preparatory period of the Christmas season.
“Much of the Hillsboro community sees Messiah as the beginning of the Christmas season,” said Vogel. “The college is happy to bring this music to the community.”
Dr. Sheila Litke, Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, will play the harpsichord, and Stephen Vincent, Adjunct Instructor of Organ, will have the privilege of playing Messiah’s familiar melodies on the church’s newly-restored pipe organ.
The vintage Kimball organ, restored by master organ builder Burton Tidwell of Marion, Kan., was donated to the church by Calvary United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan. The organ will be heard for the first time in public at this performance of Messiah.
“Burton Tidwell is an extremely busy man, building and restoring large pipe organs from California to Texas to Kentucky to Florida and the Bronx,” Vogel said. “Pipes for this organ have come not only from the Wichita organ but from rebuilding projects in the Bronx and beyond. Some of the pipes are about a hundred years old.”
An offering will be taken following the performance of Messiah to assist with costs of the production. For more information, call the Tabor College Music Department at (620) 947-3121.
HILLSBORO, Kan. — Everyone is invited to attend the community-wide Thanksgiving Service and Fall Festival Concert, “With Praise and Thanksgiving”, beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Point, in Hillsboro, Kan.
The event is co-sponsored by Tabor College and the Hillsboro Area Ministerial Association and will feature concert performances by a variety of groups and soloists from the Tabor Music Department. Admission is free with a donation of a non-perishable food item for Main Street Ministries. A freewill offering will also be taken for the work of the Ministerial Alliance.
“The goal of the ministerial association is for churches of the community to fellowship together and work together to meet the needs of people in our community,” said Rev. Gaylord Goertzen, chair of the ministerial association and pastor of the Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church. “Tabor College is an important part of our community and we are thrilled to have a joint Fall Festival and Thanksgiving service with Tabor.”
According to Dr. Richard Cantwell, Professor of Instrumental Music and Chair of the Music Department, the Community Thanksgiving Service has traditionally been an opportunity for members of the Hillsboro community to worship and count their blessings together. Musicians from Tabor College are eager to add their musical talents and songs of praise to this year’s festivities.
“In partnering with the Ministerial Association and the Tabor College Music Department, the celebration is energized by the broader participation of the city and the college,” Cantwell said. “The food items and offering raised will continue to support the compassionate ministries of the Ministerial Association.”
Under Cantwell’s direction, the Symphonic Band will play selections from the holiday favorite Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” with accompanying visuals. The Trombone Choir will be featured in a couple of selections, and the Handbell Choir will be playing the Christmas favorite, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
The Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Brad Vogel, Professor of Choral Music, will perform a number of seasonal selections with a variety of instrumentation, including student violinists Mary Goering and Julie Wiens, oboist Corina Neufeld, and vocal soloists Kayla Vix and David Vogel.
“We are looking forward to partnering with the Hillsboro Ministerial Alliance in this concert of praise and thanksgiving,” Dr. Vogel said. “The mission of Tabor College fits well with the ministry of this organization, and allows the arts at Tabor to be both featured and a source of service in the community.”
The premiere performance of“Sun, Moon and Stars,” a cantata for mixed choir, baritone solo, and orchestra written especially for the 100th Anniversary of Tabor College by composer and pianist Dr. Larry Warkentin of Fresno, Calif., was the highlight the Tabor College Centennial Spring Concert, held Sunday, May 10.
Warkentin, Professor Emeritus at Fresno Pacific University, is a distinguished alumnus of Tabor College, who has composed numerous works which have been performed by the Fresno Philharmonic, The Tulare (Calif.) Symphony, the Festival Quartet of Canada, and many choirs in North America and Europe.
The premiere of “Sun, Moon and Stars” encompassed seven sections and was performed by the Tabor College Oratorio Chorus and the Tabor College Community Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Bradley Vogel, Professor of Choral Music. The piece included a baritone solo sung by Justin Moore, a junior from Hillsboro, Kan., and concluded with the combined choir, orchestra, and audience singing Great is Thy Faithfulness.
Warkentin, who was born in 1940 in Reedley, Calif., arrived at Tabor in 1958, where the young pianist was chosen to accompany the Tabor Choir under the direction of musical giants Herbert Richert and Paul Wohlgemuth.
“The musical idea for the composition comes from my experience as accompanist for the Tabor Male Octet during the years that Richert was music director,” Warkentin said.
In addition to the new cantata, the Centennial Concert included a performance by the Tabor College Symphonic Band, conducted by Dr. Richard Cantwell, Professor of Instrumental Music and Chair of the Music Department. The Tabor College Concert Choir, conducted by Dr.Vogel, also performed.
Dr. Shiela Litke, Associate Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, performed Piano Concerto in E Major, Op. 59 by Moritz Moszkowski, accompanied by the Community Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Cantwell.
The Tabor College Symphonic Band, including the Jazz Band, Flute Ensemble and Bluejays’ Pep Band, will perform its Home Concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 3, in the College Chapel-Auditorium. Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.
According to Dr. Richard Cantwell, Director of the Symphonic Band and instrumental ensembles, the Home Concert will contain a variety of music performed during concerts given in Oklahoma during the band’s annual Spring Tour, April 23 to 27.
“Providing a wide variety of music for the audience and the ability to play many different styles for the audience’s enjoyment is a goal and desire of each individual and the group,” said Cantwell, who is in his 11th year of directing music at the college and also serves as Chairman of the Music Department.
This year the band is featuring student soloists Corina Neufeld, oboist, from Denver, Colo.; marimba players Lisa Hall, McPherson, Kan., and Joel McCoy, Olathe, Kan.; and, trumpet player Eric Funk, Littleton, Colo.
The Symphonic Band members are selected by audition and come from across the United States. The Jazz Band and Flute Ensemble members are selected from members of the Symphonic Band.The Jazz Band will be performing a variety of “Big Band” and “Swing Band” selections.The Flute Ensemble literature will be selected from classical and sacred selections.
“The ensemble members are individually fine players, but combining the individual abilities into a fine performance organization is an enjoyable and rewarding challenge,” Cantwell said. “Making beautiful music, making energizing music, making music fun and enjoyable are all desires of the ensemble.”
Dr. Cantwell holds a Doctorate in Music Arts Degree in Instrumental and Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City having worked extensively with Dr. Glenn Block and Dr. Eph Ehly. He is married to Dr. Linda Cantwell, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Tabor College.
The Tabor College Symphonic Band, including the Jazz Band, Flute Ensemble and Bluejays’ Pep Band, will perform a series of free public concerts in Oklahoma during its annual Spring Tour, April 23 to 27, 2009.
According to Dr. Richard Cantwell, Director of the Symphonic Band and instrumental ensembles, a variety of music will be performed at different venues, beginning with the group’s first performance, at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 23, at the Mennonite Brethren Church, in Fairview, Okla.
“Providing a wide variety of music for the audience and the ability to play many different styles for the audience’s enjoyment is a goal and desire of each individual and the group,” said Cantwell, who is in his 11th year of directing music at the college and also serves as Chairman of the Music Department.
“Instrumental music has a very different effect on its audience than piano or choral music,” Cantwell added. “The variety in timbres is greater and individually unique.The contrast in musical style is broader and more diverse. The resonances are thin and thick in nature. The dynamic levels are various and can become overwhelming.”
This year the band is featuring student soloists Corina Neufeld, oboist, from Denver, Colo.; marimba players Lisa Hall, McPherson, Kan., and Joel McCoy, Olathe, Kan.; and, trumpet player Eric Funk, Littleton, Colo.
The Symphonic Band members are selected by audition and come from across the United States. The Jazz Band and Flute Ensemble members are selected from members of the Symphonic Band.
The Jazz Band will be performing a variety of “Big Band” and “Swing Band” selections.The Flute Ensemble literature will be selected from classical and sacred selections.
“The ensemble members are individually fine players, but combining the individual abilities into a fine performance organization is an enjoyable and rewarding challenge,” Cantwell said. “Making beautiful music, making energizing music, making music fun and enjoyable are all desires of the ensemble.”
Other performances include:
* Friday, April 24, Memorial Road Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmond, Okla., at 7 p.m.
* Saturday, April 25, Oklahoma National Memorial, in Oklahoma City, followed by an evening concert at the Corn Mennonite Brethren Church, in Corn, Okla.
* Sunday, April 26, the band will provide music during the morning worship service at the church in Corn.After a lunch at the church, the band will travel to Enid, Okla., for a concert at the Enid Mennonite Brethren Church, at 6:00 pm.
* Monday, April 27, the ensembles will perform at the Oklahoma Bible Academy, Enid, Okla., before returning home to Hillsboro.
Upon returning to Hillsboro, the band will perform its Home Concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 3, in the College Chapel-Auditorium.
Dr. Cantwell holds a Doctorate in Music Arts Degree in Instrumental and Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City having worked extensively with Dr. Glenn Block and Dr. Eph Ehly. He is married to Dr. Linda Cantwell, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Tabor College.
Celebrating its 100th year, Tabor College is a four-year Christian liberal arts institution located in Hillsboro, Kan., with a second campus, the School for Adult and Graduate Studies, in Wichita, Kan. Visit us at www.tabor.edu.
The Tabor College Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Bradley D. Vogel, Professor of Choral Music, will perform a free public concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 5, at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church.
The choir recently returned from its Spring Tour, in which it gave 10 concerts, from March 19 to March 27, in Kansas, Colorado, and California.
The concert, entitled “The Aroma of Christ,” is based on 2 Corinthians 2:15 and explores the themes of Christ in the World, Christ in Us, and With Christ in Eternity.
“The concert repertoire is designed with the aim to magnify the greatness of God and His love,” Vogel said. “Through beauty of sound and text, we hope that listeners recognize God in us and around us.”
Musical selections will range from standard choral works of Palestrina, Rachmaninoff, Stanford and Durufle, to arrangements of hymns, spirituals, and gospel songs. The concert choir will be accompanied by piano, organ, flute, oboe, and violin.
“I do believe that art glorifies God, and that people are enriched by beauty,” Vogel added. “Our prayer is that people will feel enriched by hearing the choir.”
n Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, Messiah is Handel’s most famous composition and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature. Although the work was conceived and first performed for Easter, it has become traditional to perform the oratorio during Advent, the preparatory period of the Christmas season.
