01/11/2001

Community Chorus to Begin Rehearsing for World Premiere

GREENEVILLE, TN -- The Tusculum College Community Chorus will begin its rehearsals for the spring season at 7:30, Monday, Jan. 15, in the choir room on the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center on the Tusculum College campus.

In its May 7 Spring Concert, the Community Chorus will present the world premiere performance of Celtic Prayers by composer Karen Schneider-Kirner. Approximately a half hour in length, the work calls for soloists, chorus, flute, and violin, along with piano accompaniment.

The Community Chorus is open to all interested singers. There is no audition, but those planning to sing should call the conductor, David Hendricksen, (423-638-2195) so that music folders and seating can be prepared. The chorus meets each Monday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and has dues of $10 per semester.

The new work, Celtic Prayers, began taking shape a couple years ago, when the composer purchased a book of Celtic children's prayers to present to her nephew. She got the idea of writing music for a few of the prayers, and before long, the project expanded into musical settings of all the prayers in the book. She and her husband, Scott Kirner, made a recording of these settings and distributed it to friends and relatives for Christmas, 1999.Ê

Hendricksen said, "After hearing the recording, I called Karen to see if she would be interested in making an arrangement of her music for a mixed chorus and was delighted when she agreed. I really liked her composition, with its influences from Irish folk music, and thought it would be a good piece for the Community Chorus to sing. I just received the finished music from Karen this past week, and am anxious to begin working on it with the chorus."Ê

Ms. Schneider-Kirner holds the Bachelor of Music degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and both the Master of Music and the Master of Arts in Religion from the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University. She is presently on the music staff of the campus ministry department at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.