UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Glee Club will present its annual Blue and White Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The choir's program features 19th century German repertoire by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert, arrangements of well-known spirituals, and "Benedicamus Domino" by renowned 20th century Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. The concert will also include selections from the Hi-Los, a small ensemble of Glee Club members.
The Glee Club is conducted by Christopher Kiver, Penn State's director of choral activities. Will Preston serves as collaborative pianist. The conductor of the Penn State Alma Mater is Glee Club president Reese Wamsley.
Ticket prices are $12 for general admission and $4 for students. Tickets purchased in advance for School of Music concerts in Eisenhower Auditorium are eligible for a 40 percent discount. There is no limit on the number of tickets that may be purchased. Purchases made the the day of the concert are not eligible for the discount. Tickets are available at any Arts Ticket Center location, by phone at 814-863-0255 or 1-800-ARTS-TIX, or online at the Penn State Arts Ticket Center.
The event will also be shown via livestream on the Penn State School of Music website.
Program
Hail! Oh, Hail! — Ray Fortunato
Psalm 117 — Stanley M. Hoffman
Benedicamus Domino — Krzysztof Penderecki
O vos omnes — Pablo Casals
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands — arranged by Fenno Heath
Soon-ah Will Be Done — William L. Dawson
Tarantella — Randall Thompson
Selections by Hi-Lo's
Die Rose stand im Tau — Robert Schumann
Der Gondelfahrer — Franz Schubert
Penn State Forever — arranged by Richard Grant, Lewis Spratlan and Bruce Trinkley
Penn State Alma Mater — arranged by Hummel Fishburn
The Penn State Glee Club is Penn State’s oldest student organization. Since its first spring tour in March 1889, the Glee Club has performed throughout the United States and abroad, with recent tours to Wales, Trinidad and Tobago, France, and New Zealand. In recent years, the Glee Club has performed at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, as well as the National Presbyterian Church and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In addition, the choir has presented concerts at conventions of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (2007, 2013), Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses Inc. (2008, 2014), the National Association for Music Education (MENC, 2009), and the American Choral Directors Association (2010, 2014).
Since 2005, the Glee Club has performed major choral works including Symphony No. 2 in C Minor ("Resurrection”) by Gustav Mahler, "Ein deutsches Requiem" by Johannes Brahms, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor ("Choral"), the Verdi "Requiem," and the Poulenc "Gloria."
The Glee Club’s members hail from all colleges on Penn State’s University Park campus.