Oberlin College Choir and Youth Chorale To Perform in First Collaborative Concert on Saturday, November 6, 8 p.m., in Finney Chapel Story by Rhiannon Giddens
	RELATED Members of the Oberlin College Choir and Youth Chorale		Dr. Jody Kerchner and members of the Oberlin Youth Chorale The 52-member Oberlin College Choir, directed by assistant professor of choral conducting Hugh Floyd, and the 59-member Oberlin Youth Chorale, a community high-school organization directed by assistant professor of music education Jody Kerchner, will join together for a first-ever collaborative concert on Saturday, November 6, 8 p.m., in Finney Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public. In the first half of the program, Floyd will conduct the College Choir in two pieces by Johannes Brahms: Begräbnisgesang, Opus 13 and Zigeunerlieder, Opus 103. The second half of the program will be devoted to a performance of the combined choirs in a performance of John Rutter's Magnificat. For this collaboration, directors Floyd and Kerchner carefully considered both the voices of college and high-school students. "We wanted to find a piece that would appeal to both ensembles," says Floyd. They chose the seven-movement Rutter Magnificat, which he describes as "a multi-movement work with energy and joy, based on a liturgical text. " The Oberlin College Choir is a select ensemble of College and Conservatory students that performs a wide variety of a cappella and accompanied choral literature. A high level of individual skill and preparation is expected from each pre-professional singer. The choir has won critical acclaim for performances in the United States and abroad. It has performed in America's most prestigious concert halls, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York City. The choir was founded in 1929 by Olaf C. Christianson as the Oberlin A Cappella Choir. In 1964, under the direction of Robert Fountain, the choir sang 39 concerts in the Soviet Union and Rumania as part of the Cultural Exchange Program of the U.S. State Department. Since 1997, the choir has been conducted by Hugh Floyd, who strives to continue the group's history of excellence, increase its repertoire, and never lower the standard of perfection. The Oberlin Youth Chorale, founded three years ago by Kerchner as an extension of the Oberlin Choristers, is an auditioned ensemble that consists of 9th to 12th grade students who meet for weekly hour-and-a-half rehearsals. Kerchner notes that the Chorale members are excited about the opportunity to sing with college students. "They are trying so incredibly hard, it's just magnificent to watch. I can't believe that they are so focused and so dedicated to getting this done." She hopes to foster a kind of mentorship between the choirs, and that the two groups will have a lot to learn from each other. Both educators believe strongly in furthering the relations between the college and the community, a mission that is exemplified by this partnership. The number and caliber of music groups that exist in Oberlin outside of the college "is quite amazing, given the size of the Conservatory," says Floyd. "We hope to help people become more aware of the musical opportunities available in conjunction with the Conservatory." Floyd and Kerchner agree that this undertaking is a big step in that direction. Program for November 6, 1999 The Oberlin College Choir Hugh Ferguson Floyd, conductor Soh-Ra Kim, Piano The Oberlin Youth Chorale Jody L. Kerchner, conductor Marilyn Crooker, Assistant conductor, accompanist Begräbnisgesang, Opus 13 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Oberlin College Choir Oberlin Wind Ensemble Zigeunerlieder, Opus 103 Johannes Brahms He, Zigeuner • John Rodger, tenor Hochgetürmte Rimaflut Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen • Jennifer Spitulnick, soprano • David Kurtenbach, tenor Lieber Gott, du weisst • Lauren Harrison, soprano Brauner Bursche fürht zum Tanze Röslein dreie in der Reihe • David Kurtenbach, tenor Kommt dir manchmal in den Sinn • David Kurtenbach, tenor Rote Abendwolken • John Rodger, tenor Oberlin College Choir Soh-Ra Kim, Piano Magnificat John Rutter (b. 1945) Magnifcat anima mea Of a Rose, a lovely Rose Quia fecit mihi magna • Jessica Rossi, soprano • David Kurtenbach, tenor Et misericordia • Jennifer Kew, soprano Fecit potentiam Esurientes • Hannah Waldman, soprano Gloria Patri • Hannah Waldman, soprano  Oberlin College Choir Oberlin Youth Chorale Kristen Hensley, flute Laura Motley, oboe Megan Watson, clarinet Luciano Silvestre, horn Nuiko Wadden, harp Ellen Stewart, bass Soh-Ra Kim, piano
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