Ithaca College

Two Ithaca College choral groups—the chorus and the women’s chorale—will give a free joint concert on Wednesday, May 2. Beginning at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music, the event will feature the chorus singing the well-loved “Requiem” by Gabriel Fauré. Janet Galván will conduct the performance, which will be accompanied by an orchestra of Ithaca College students and feature soloists Deborah Lifton (soprano) and Brad Hougham (baritone).

“As we studied the Fauré, I shared the composer’s wishes with the chorus. As a church musician, Fauré wanted to make this a requiem of comfort,” Galván said. “After the tragic events at Virginia Tech on April 16, some of the students with direct ties to Virginia approached me to ask if we could dedicate the performance to the victims and their families. We will be wearing orange ribbons to honor Virginia Tech.”

Fauré’s orchestra features violas prominently, and viola professor Debra Moree and her students will perform in the orchestra.

The concert will also include the women’s chorale premiering a piece by composer Dana Wilson, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Music in the School of Music. The women’s chorale will also sing two compositions by Gwyneth Walker with orchestra as well as the rarely performed second set of the “Hymns to Rig Veda” by Gustav Holst. Rebecca Ansel, assistant professor of music performance, will play principal violin for this piece.

The Ithaca College School of Music offers some 300 free concerts each academic year. More information on these performances is available by calling (607) 274-3717 or visiting www.ithaca.edu/concerts.