Centenary College Camerata explores classic and modern chamber music in October 30 concert
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary’s Camerata ushers in the College’s Homecoming week with its annual fall concert on Monday, October 30, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. Featuring Corgliano’s Fern Hill and J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 140, “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” accompanied by a chamber orchestra, the evening program in Anderson Auditorium at Centenary’s Hurley School of Music is free and open to the public.
Dr. Cory Wikan is dean of the Hurley School of Music and director of Camerata. Wikan has designed a concert that takes full advantage of Camerata’s 12 members, noting that the size makes the group “truly a chamber ensemble this year.”
The Bach piece, written for the 27th Sunday after Trinity and first performed on November 25, 1731, contains Advent themes. Camerata will also perform some movements from this piece at Centenary’s annual Christmas Candlelight service in Brown Chapel on Friday, December 1.
“It is imperative that emerging artists learn the great works of Bach, a continued staple in the standard repertoire,” said Wikan. “Camerata also likes to explore newer works. John Corigliano wrote Fern Hill circa 1961, and the chamber orchestra version (Mezzo-soprano solo, harp, piano, and strings) was created in 1999. Set to Dylan Thomas's tremendous poetry about summers at his family farm, it coincidentally follows Bach's Cantata nicely. The musical language of both is surely different, but the arch of looking ahead to Christ's arrival (Advent), and Thomas's boyhood and backward gaze of maturity will make the experience of Camerata's fall concert feel complete, expansive, forward thinking, reflective, and exciting.”
Camerata, founded in 1983, is the select chamber choir from the Hurley School of Music. The composition of the group is primarily voice majors, though membership is open to all Centenary students by audition.
For more information, contact music@centenary.edu or call 318.869.5235.