December 10, 1999
By Lisa Harter
"Start spreading the news." Southwestern College Concert Choir will head to the Big Apple this spring, thanks to the support of college faculty and a generous community.
The choir will participate in a mass choral performance at Carnegie Hall on March 19, 2000, conducted by nationally recognized choral conductor Dr. Lee Kjelson. Kjelson was invited to conduct John Rutter's Requiem with a large choir and orchestra. To amass a choir this large, Kjelson contacted former graduate students, who are now college-level conductors themselves, and invited them and their choirs to be a part of this exciting project.
Dr. Terry Russell, Southwestern College's professor of choral music, is a former student of Kjelson and was invited by him to participate. Russell then set the ball rolling by consulting with Dr. Serafin Zasueta, president of Southwestern College, and with his consent the project was on. This will be the first time a group from the college will perform at the world-famous Carnegie Hall.
The Concert Choir has also been chosen to give a prelude concert, which will take place at 1 p.m. just prior to the main program.
In addition to overwhelming support of Southwestern College's administration, faculty and staff, the choir has been fortunate to receive funding from the college's vendors, various churches and community organizations. The college hopes to receive enough funding so that each student will need only a minimum amount of personal out-of-pocket money to participate.
If you'd like to be a part of the excitement, mark your calendars now to attend the Holiday Concert at 4 p.m. on December 12, 1999, at Southwestern College's Mayan Hall. The choir will perform highlights from the Requiem to give the community a flavor of what will be performed at Carnegie Hall. To contribute directly to the project, please contact Dr. Terry Russell at (619) 421-6700 x5679.
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