Defiance College to host annual W. Oscar Jones Choral Festival
November 2, 2017
DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance College Music Programs will present the W. Oscar Jones Choral Festival on Sunday, Nov. 5, at the St. John United Church of Christ on the Defiance College campus. The choirs sing two identical performances at 5 and 7 p.m.
The W. Oscar Jones Choral Festival features the DC Chamber Singers, the Choral Union,
the Black Swamp High School Honors Choir, and the Stoney Creek High School Chamber
Singers. The DC Chamber Singers is a student-populated choral ensemble that performs
through
Northwest Ohio. The DC Choral Union is a large choral ensemble open to students and community
members. Both choirs perform a varied program of beloved choral favorites and diverse
works from Africa and Russia.
The Black Swamp Honors Choir is an auditioned choral ensemble from area high schools. Students from Ayersville, Bryan, Defiance, Edon Northwest, Fairview, Hilltop, Stryker, Tinora, and Wauseon will perform. Students meet for an intensive three-day rehearsal schedule, then combine forces for this weekend's special event. The choirs are under the direction of Dr. Jim Watson, director of music programs, with piano accompaniment by Hannah Watson. In addition, the choirs are accompanied by a chamber ensemble of brass and string musicians.
The Stoney Creek High School Chamber Singers is an auditioned choral ensemble from Rochester, Michigan. This outstanding ensemble recently performed with the "Pope's Choir" at the Detroit Opera House. The Chamber Singers also frequent regional conferences and festivals. The ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Brandon Ulrich. Dr. Ulrich is an advocate for new music, having established the Stoney Creek Commissioning Project which annually premiers several new works. An active composer and conductor, Ulrich will lead the combined choirs in his own setting of a Sarah Teasdale poem, Tonight.
Tickets are $10, and doors 30 minutes ahead of each performance. Seating is general admission with first come, first served.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
