The public is cordially invited to a concert by The Chamber Choir at UVa-Wise on Sunday, October 28 at 3:00 P.M. in the Chapel of All Faiths on the UVa-Wise campus.  There is no admission charge.

The program will feature choral works primarily by American composers that have been performed at UVa-Wise over the last 50 years.  Included are songs by Theo Gibson, Georgie Gurney and Diedre Brantley Davis, all former faculty members at the College.

Also included are two choral works by the late Denes Agay, a longtime summer resident of Norton.  “Remembrance”, a choral work by Agay was composed at the request of Clinch Valley College and first performed by The CVC Women’s Chorale for the Dedication Ceremony of the Colgate W. Darden, Jr. Memorial Garden on Capitol Square in Richmond in 1983.

The choir will perform two choral works by the famed American composer Henry Mollicone.  Mollicone, a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow in April 1998, spent a week lecturing music history and literature classes and conducting a concert performance of his opera, “The Face on the Barroom Floor” and a concert of his sacred choral works, both performances by members of CVC choral organizations.

A series of songs from “The Great American Songbook”, a collection of film and Broadway songs from the 1920s to the 1950s will be presented by choir soloists.

Concluding the program will be a premiere performance of “Always Dawn, Dreams Live On, Elegy for Chancellor David Prior” by Evelyn Pursley-Kopitzky.  The Tanzania born American composer now resides in Tennessee where she is co-founder and organizer of the Greater Tri-Cities Area Composers’ Consortium.  Her extensive opus includes chamber, choral, art songs, and orchestral works including a recent five movement symphony, “The Constellations.”

“Always Dawn” is based on an original poem by Dr. Gillian Huang-Tiller, poet and associate professor of English at UVa-Wise.  The poem first appeared in a recent edition of Jimson Weed, the College literary publication.

The Chamber Choir is a group of 22 singers including staff and faculty at UVa-Wise and members of the surrounding communities of Southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky.  The Choir also has three UVa-Wise student members.

For additional information concerning the concert and The Chamber Choir contact D. Michael Donathan Professor Emeritus of Music at UVa-Wise at dmd5x@uvawise.edu