Notable Concert Brings UMW Choirs, Community Members and High-Schoolers Together

A combo of choirs will come together for Sunday’s Two Roads Diverged: Fall Choral Concert at the University of Mary Washington.

UMW students, faculty and staff will pool their voices and musical talents with Fredericksburg-area community members and local high-schoolers for the performance on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m., in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium.

The convergence of vocalists and chamber instrumentalists will take audience members on a melodic journey along “city streets and country roads” with Randall Thompson’s Frostiana: Seven Country Songs and Payne, Welch and McGuire’s Street Requiem. The former sets to music seven Robert Frost poems, while the latter focuses on city streets, paying homage to those facing homelessness and street violence.

Also on tap for the evening is Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei, a choral transcription of his iconic work Adagio for Strings.

UMW students, staff and faculty members will join area high-schoolers and Fredericksburg-area community members for the Two Roads Diverged: Fall Choral Concert on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium. Photos by Tom Rothenberg.

Professor of Chemistry and UMW Honors Program Director Kelli Slunt (top) performs during the Nov. 7 rehearsal for Sunday’s ‘Two Roads Diverged: Fall Choral Concert.’ Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

UMW Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Christopher Ryder conducts as an ensemble of singers and musicians converge for Sunday’s rehearsal. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

UMW student Margeaux Grey lends her voice to the performance. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

The concert features three UMW choirs – the University of Mary Washington Chorus, the UMW Chamber Choir and the Fredericksburg Singers, which includes students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as community members. The groups will be joined by a chamber orchestra comprised of students, faculty and alumni, along with local teens from Courtland High School’s Vocal Ensemble, James Monroe High School’s Monroe Singers and Stafford High School’s Chamber Singers.

UMW Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Christopher Ryder, who works with the high-schoolers throughout the year, helped create this invitational event to introduce them to Mary Washington’s music program and “so that we could all make music together,” he said. The students will be on the Fredericksburg campus on Friday to rehearse, have lunch and take a tour, ahead of the concert on Sunday.

UMW student Cornellius Ellis rehearses for the ‘Two Roads Diverged’ concert, to be held at UMW on Sunday, Nov. 12. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

UMW student Claudia Boyd rehearses for the ‘Two Roads Diverged’ concert, to be held at UMW on Sunday, Nov. 12. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

Professor and Chair of the Department of Music J. Brooks Kuykendall will play horn in the chamber orchestra and accompany the choir on organ during Sunday’s concert. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

UMW student Adelaide Gill rehearses for the ‘Two Roads Diverged’ concert, to be held at UMW on Sunday, Nov. 12. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.

“The music in this program presents diverse content that celebrates the simple joys of life, and also that which brings awareness to larger issues of poverty and street violence that keep many from enjoying those simple joys,” Ryder said. “The music program at Mary Washington is pleased to bring members of our community together to make music alongside our students.”