The Lake Michigan College Performing Arts Department presents “Fire & Ice,” a vocal choir concert featuring the LMC Concert Choir and its chamber ensemble, Sound Waves, at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 24 in The Mendel Center Hanson Theatre on the Benton Harbor campus.
The choir and ensemble, under the direction of LMC Music Director Kristopher Zook, will sing a vast vocal repertoire including “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind,” by John Rutter from “When Icicles Hang,” his six-movement work for orchestra, boys' choir, and mixed chorus; “Chili Con Carne” by Anders Edenroth, popularized by the Swedish vocal jazz ensemble, The Real Group; and Zook’s own arrangement of the “Game of Thrones” theme, written by Ramin Djawadi for the popular HBO television series.
“Fire & Ice promises to explore the many facets of these two extremes,” Zook said. “From the literal meanings of these two contrasting forces, to much more abstract subject matter, the show will present various perspectives that connect with each of us on a primal level.”
The program also features works by composers such as Michael John Trotta, Randall Thompson, Julian Giraldo, Eric Whitaker, Ola Gjeilo Felix Mendelssohn, Susan LaBarr and more.
The LMC Sound Waves, which is new to the campus community, features a select group of student vocalists who are admitted by audition and have a passion for high-quality, advanced choral repertoire. Current members are sopranos Amber Case, McKenna Munson, Brooke Rodriguez and Tiara Smith; alto Lauren Cerka; tenor Tristan Wright; and bass Max Daniel, Angelo Patterson, and Gabriel Wright.
The LMC Concert Choir is a mixed voice choral ensemble that is comprised of LMC students and community members from throughout Berrien County and beyond. The group performs regularly on the concert stage, both at The Mendel Center and throughout Southwest Michigan. Most recently the choir has performed at the St. Joseph Kiwanis club, at The Heritage Museum & Cultural Center, at Point of Woods Country Club and for area senior living facilities, businesses and community events.
In addition to the students in Sound Waves, the Concert Choir includes sopranos Marcheta Baxter; Penny Jones Brant; Barb Frank; Don-Nee German; Madison Mead; Amy Reutlinger; and Corri Wright; altos Dyann Chenault; Daniela Garcia; Jill Garcia; Abbey Muller; Pandora O’Neal; Marina Peter; Stephanie Pollard; Barbara Schofield; Darien Scott; Betsy Trescher; and Ray Wallsten; tenors Allison Gardner; Harvey Johnson, Jr.; Richard Johnson; Carol Orlaske; and Dennis Wojtczak; and bass Josh Goines; Harvey Johnson, Sr.; and Ken Yates.
“The choirs, along with the whole music department at LMC, are in a magnificent period of growth,” Zook said. “Not only has the group grown in size since the fall semester, but the level of music-making is leaps and bounds beyond where we were. We are so excited to share our gifts with the community.”
Zook, who joined LMC in 2018, came to Southwest Michigan after serving as an operatic baritone, composer, church musician and music educator in New York City and Philadelphia, at the historic Elberon Memorial Church, and the Red Bank Regional High School Academy of Visual and Performing Arts in Little Silver, N.J. He also taught at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., and holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., and two bachelor’s degrees from Westminster College in Pennsylvania.
Admission is free and open to the public. A $5 suggested donation will be collected to benefit Fired Up! at Water Street Glassworks, the tuition-free, teen after-school program open to students 12-18 that teaches personal development and entrepreneurial skills through glassblowing, glass beadmaking/jewelry design, fused glass, and glass mosaic.
Contact the Lake Michigan College Performing Arts Department at (269) 927-8876 or visit the website to learn more about the college’s performing and visual arts programs.
