Choral Collaborations Celebrates Two Anniversaries

Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579

March 13, 2014 (Notre Dame, Ind.)–A collaborative concert will be held on Sunday, March 23 in Church of Our Lady of Loretto to celebrate two anniversaries: the 25th anniversary of the South Bend Chamber Singers and Nancy Menk’s 30th anniversary as conductor of the Saint Mary’s College Women’s Choir. Menk, who conducts both choirs, is a music professor and chair of the Department of Music at Saint Mary's College.

This will be the first time the two choirs will appear together in concert. Both have reputations for excellence and the concert will feature both mixed and women’s voices. The two choirs will also join together for several works specifically written for double choir SSAA/SATB. 

“For the occasion we have a commissioned a new work from Welsh composer Paul Mealor,” Menk said. “Mealor recently gained international attention as the composer commissioned to write a new anthem for the recent royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. For this concert, Mealor has chosen a Celtic prayer as the text for this new work.”

The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m. given by Mealor.

The SBCS, an ensemble-in-residence at Saint Mary’s College, was founded in 1989 and the 30 members have extensive musical backgrounds. The SBCS draws members from throughout north central Indiana and southwestern Michigan. The ensemble concentrates on works by living composers, but its repertoire includes traditional compositions and unusual and complex arrangements.

Click for campus map. Tickets can be purchased online at moreaucenter.com or by visiting the Moreau Center box office in person Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by calling (574) 284-4626.

About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. The College’s single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success. Saint Mary's College ranks 76 among the 248 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2014 published by U.S. News and World Report. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate women and prepare them for postgraduate success whether it’s a first job, graduate school, or postgraduate service.

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