Wayland Baptist choirs to express 'Hope and Healing' in upcoming fall concert
PLAINVIEW — "Hope and Healing" will be musically expressed Thursday, Oct. 27 when Wayland Baptist University's School of Creative Arts presents the International Choir and Wayland Singers Chorus in concert.
The WBU choirs' fall concert is set for 7 p.m. in Harral Memorial Auditorium on the university's Plainview campus. Admission is free, and the concert is open to the public. Both choirs are under the direction of Sarah Herrington, director of choral studies and assistant professor of music education.
"The program takes us through a journey that is common to us all in our human experience," Herrington said. "We acknowledge and honor the times of trials and hardships. We take joy in remembering those we’ve loved and lost. We long for glimpses of light in our times of struggle. We once again find light that brings us into a season of hope and healing."
The concert will explore four main themes. The motif of "trials and hardships" will be expressed with "I'm Building Me a Home" by Anthony Trecek-King, "Mother to Son" by Gwyneth Walker, and "Hold On Just a Little While Longer" by Remel Derrick. Then, the tone will then shift to "remembering the lost," featuring pieces including "In Memoria Aeterna" by Antonio Vivaldi, "Bright Mornings Stars" by Alice Parker, and "I'm Gonna Sing Til the Spirit Moves in My Heart" by Moses Hogan.
"Longing for the light” will be represented by "Wie der Hirsch Schreit" by Felix Mendelssohn, "Can We Sing the Darkness to Light" by Kyle Pederson, and "How Can I Keep from Singing" by Adam and Matt Podd. The concert concludes with pieces representing "seeing the light": "Light Beyond Shadow" by Dan Forrest, "One Voice" by The Wailin' Jennys, and "Mangisondele Nkosi Yam" by Michael Barrett.
"Our hope is that these themes will resonate with every listener and make us aware of the human connections we all share," Herrington said.
The process of preparing this concert has been a meaningful experience for all of those involved, according to the director.
"These seasons of life are common to us all and we can recognize them," she said. "We’ve explored how we honor and learn from the hard times. We’ve shared memories of those we’ve lost, and we’ve recounted times of resilience when we finally see the light break through the shadows."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Wayland Baptist choirs to express 'Hope and Healing' in fall concert
