35 Young Women Sing Concert On Tour Of East Coast

The Oakland Girls Choir Concentio will be performing An American Portrait, a concert featuring composers and poets from the US and Canada in churches along the East Coast including the Mystic Congregational Church, 43 East Main Street on Wednesday, June 19 at 7 p.m.

The concert features Concentio and Chamber Choir ensembles of The Oakland Girls Choirs in an inspirational concert.  Gathering songs from American tradition, including hymn tunes, African American spirituals, and songs that explore American landscape and spirit, the concert transports listeners across the vast landscape and cultures of North America.

Concentio and Chamber Choir are comprised of girls in grades 6 to 12.  Kathryn Barnard, general and artistic director, conducts the program, accompanied by Rebekah Hill and two instrumentalists: Laura Arledge, flute, and Franklin Nino, cello.  Admission for each concert is suggested donation. 

The concert will feature Z. Randall Stroope's "An American Te Deum",  a seven-movement piece that weaves text from traditional Latin hymns of praise and texts from American poets.  The piece will also be performed with cello, piano, and flute.

Chamber Choir will be performing Jackson Berkey's "South Dakota Shadows Suite", a four-movement setting with texts by all South Dakota natives. 

Concentio will also perform three hymn settings by Aaron Copland: "Zion's Walls", "Shall We Gather At The River", & "Ching-A-Ring Chaw"; selections from Randall Thompson's "Frostiana", with poetry by Robert Frost; Eric Whitacre's hauntingly beautiful "Seal Lullaby", and Jocelyn Hagan's "Joy" (text by Sarah Teasdale).   Several Caldwell & Ivory settings of spirituals will be performed, including "Joshua."

The Oakland Girls Choir, established in 2005, provides an opportunity for girls of all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to experience the joy of singing in community through a comprehensive choral training program.