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An Afternoon of choral singing With the GSU Treble Choir, Tenor-Bass Choir, Choral Union and joined by the University of Virginia Glee Club

Tenor-Bass Choir

Dr. Patrick K. Freer, conductor

Andrew Choi, piano

Alleluia

Rachel Stenson

Pärismaalase Lauluke

Veljo Tormis

This is one of Tormis's most popular choral songs. Its pagan, shamanistic rhythm lies in the nonsense syllable "tabu-tabu" repeated over and over again. The words actually meant "taboo" depicting the inability of the Estonians (i.e. Aboriginals) to speak out during the Soviet occupation.

Brothers of the Singing Void

David L. Brunner

Commissioned for the 2010 Southern Division ACDA Men's Honor Choir, David Brunner's broad and majestic music paired with James Broughton's powerful words, combine to make the perfect piece for men's chorus. In the text are found unusual juxtapositions of seeming opposites: “percussive silences,” “the intimate roar,” “the singing void,” and a strong bond of brotherhood: “thriving on affection” and “closer to me than my own children.” Let your ears ring with “the sound the stars make.”

Virginia Glee Club

Frank Albinder, conductor

Ting-Ting Wen, piano and violin

Promised Land

arr. Michael Richardson

Abide with Me

William H. Monk

arr. Moses Hogan

A tender song of assurance that celebrates the steadfast love of Christ and the promise of hope through new life in Him, Promise of Joy looks ahead to the sunrise, no matter how dark the night may be. Written for the youth choir of First Baptist Church of Easley, South Carolina in memory of fellow choir member Justin W. Bray.

Auld Lang Syne

arr. Erick Lichte

"Auld Lang Syne" is a popular Scottish song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/Hogmanay. The text is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 but based on an older Scottish folk song. In 1799, it was set to a traditional tune, which has since become standard.

Georgia State University Tenor-Bass Choir and the Virginia Glee Club

Frank Albinder, conductor

Ave Maria

Franz Biebl

Treble Choir & Tenor-Bass Choir

Dr. Patrick Freer, conductor

Dr. Emily Hobson-Gallardo, conductor

Emily Halbert, graduate assistant conductor

Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal

arr. Alice Parker

Dr. Patrick Freer, conductor

Austen Smith, piano

Walk in Jerusalem

arr. Rollo Dilworth

Traditional Spiritual

Dr. Emily Hobson-Gallardo, conductor

Austen Smith, piano

Treble Choir

Emily Hobson-Gallardo, conductor

Juliana Bolaño, graduate assistant conductor

Emily Halbert, graduate assistant conductor

Austen Smith, piano

Makedonska Humoreska

Traditional Macedonian Folksong

arr. Todor Skalovski

Emily Halbert, conductor

Choose Something Like a Star

from Frostiana

Randall Thompson

Thompson was commissioned by the town of Amherst to write a piece commemorating its bicentennial in 1959. The town was known for its association with Robert Frost, who had lived there for some years. Frost had known Thompson for some time, and admired his music; accordingly, it was decided that the commemorative work would be a setting of some of Frost's poetry. He selected seven poems, with which he constructed a seven-movement suite of choral art songs:
  • "The Road Not Taken"
  • "The Pasture"
  • "Come In"
  • "The Telephone"
  • "A Girl's Garden"
  • "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
  • "Choose Something Like a Star"

La Paloma

Traditional Venezuelan

arr. Cristian Grases

Venezuelan folk music comes to life in this spirited call-and-response piece that tells a part-nostalgic, part-aphoristic story about life, loss, nature, and dance. . . . It's a quick, rhythmic, and colorful addition to a multicultural concert program.

— Dr. Ryan Kelly, PMEA News, Winter 2018

Choral Union

Dr. Emily Hobson-Gallardo, conductor

Dr. Kyung-Mi Kim, piano

Rebecca Simantov, graduate assistant conductor

Trevor Kytola, graduate assistant conductor

Dubula, Mfanandini

Xhosa folksong

Ed. Benjamin Locke

Rebecca Simantov, conductor

City Called Heaven

Traditional African American Spiritual

arr. Josephine Poelinitz

Ukuthula

Traditional South African

arr. Andre van der Merwe

Trevor Kytola, conductor

Wading in Waist-High Water

From the album “A Very Lonely Solstice”

Written and recorded by Fleet Foxes

arr. members of Choral Union

Temporal

Traditional Puerto Rican plena

Diana V. Sáez and Suzette Ortiz

Personnel

Emily Hobson-Gallardo

Dr. Emily Hobson-Gallardo is serving as a Lecturer in Choral Studies at the Georgia State University School of Music. At GSU she conducts the Treble Choir, Choral Union, and teaches courses in conducting. She recently returned to the Atlanta area after completing her Doctorate in Choral Conducting at the University of Houston Moores School of Music. Prior to this appointment she served as the Director of Choirs at Oglethorpe University. In Houston, she served as the Assistant Conductor of the Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Rehearsal Conductor of the Houston Symphony Chorus, and as the Assistant Conductor/Choral Conducting Intern with the GRAMMY award-winning Houston Chamber Choir for the 2019-2021 seasons. Prior to relocating to Houston, she was the Assistant Director of Choirs at the University of West Georgia. At UWG she conducted the Concert Choir, taught the Aural Skills sequence, Choral Methods and Materials, as well as Music Appreciation. She was a conductor of the Greater Atlanta Girls Choir, and also taught middle and high choral school programs in Fayette County and Marietta City Schools.

A diverse choral conductor and music educator, she is originally from Mississippi where she received her Bachelor’s of Music Education degree from Mississippi State University graduating cum laude with an emphasis in piano and voice, studying with Dr. Gary Packwood and Dr. Rosangela Yazbec Sebba. She then went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Choral Conducting graduating summa cum laude from Georgia State University in Atlanta, studying with Dr. Deanna Joseph. As a clinician and adjudicator, she has conducted all ages and skill levels as well as worked with many different organizations and schools in the southeast.

She has maintained a private studio teaching and coaching students of all ages. As a singer she has sung in a variety of professional choral ensembles; most recently the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus. In Houston, she sang with the University of Houston Moores School of Music Concert Chorale, St Phillip Presbysterian Staff Singers, and the Houston Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Her research is primarily concerning the Performance Practice of Italian Convent Musicians of the Early Modern Period. She recently presented a session entitled; Gratifying and Engaging Early Music Repertoire for Treble Choirs at the 2021 Texas Music Educators Association Conference.

Patrick K. Freer

Patrick K. Freer is Professor of Music at Georgia State University where he conducts the Tenor-Bass Choir and directs the masters & doctoral programs in music education. Dr. Freer has held Visiting Professorships at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg (Austria) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). He has been conductor-in-residence conductor for the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra (Colombia). His degrees are from Westminster Choir College and Teachers College-Columbia University. Dr. Freer has guest conducted or presented in 40 states and 30 countries.

Dr. Freer is Editor of the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing and former longtime editor of Music Educators Journal. He serves on ACDA’s National Standing Committee for Research and Publications and has chaired all three of ACDA’s International Symposia for Research in Choral Singing. He was elected to three terms as National Chair for NAfME’s Special Research Group on Gender & Sexuality. He also chaired the philosophy sub-group within the task force responding to COVID-19 concerns for the National Collegiate Choral Organization (USA). Dr. Freer’s research and pedagogical expertise centers on working with adolescent males and their changing voices, from prepubescence to young adulthood. Dr. Freer is a recipient of the Outstanding Senior Faculty Award for Research & Creative Activity in GSU’s College of the Arts, and he holds multiple elected leadership roles in the University community.

Frank Albinder

Frank Albinder came to Washington, DC in 1999 to become music director of the Washington Men’s Camerata. In 2000, he became Music Director of the Woodley Ensemble, a professional chamber choir also based in Washington. He has been the conductor of the Virginia Glee Club at the University of Virginia since 2003. Frank came to Washington from the internationally renowned male vocal ensemble Chanticleer, where he most recently served as the group’s Associate Conductor in addition to singing with the ensemble. During his 11-year tenure with Chanticleer, Frank performed in all 50 states and in 20 foreign countries. He appears on 21 of the ensemble’s recordings, including Wondrous Love, which was recorded under his direction, and the Grammy® Award-winning Colors of Love, for which he designed the concept. Other performance credits include the Boston Camerata, the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, the Washington Bach Consort, and the Concord Ensemble. He holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Pomona College in Claremont, California, and two M.M. degrees (Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance) from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Between 1984 and 1988, Frank was Director of Choral Activities at Davidson College in North Carolina. In addition to serving as president of Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses, he served two terms as National Chair of Repertoire and Standards for Male Choruses for the American Choral Director’s Association. He is also a board member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and a steering committee member of ChoralNet.org, the Internet’s principal portal for information and resources relating to the choral field. He recently retired after twelve years as part of the professional music staff at St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, the Church of the Presidents.

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