NW Missouri Times

Two choral ensembles from Northwest Missouri State University are set to perform their spring concerts this month. The University Chorale will take the stage first with a performance scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, and the Tower Choir will follow with their concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27. Both events are slated to take place in the Mary Linn Auditorium at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts and are free and open to the public.

Both choirs are conducted by Dr. Adam Zrust, an assistant professor of music. Commenting on the upcoming performances, Dr. Zrust stated, “The concert will have something for everyone and will leave the audience wanting more.”

The University Chorale will perform an eclectic mix of music from around the globe, featuring pieces such as “Rasa Nusantara,” a suite of Malaysian folk dances, “Nda Wana,” a South African welcoming song, and “Bogoroditse Devo” from Sergel Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil.”

Meanwhile, the Tower Choir is preparing two extended works: “Les Chansons des Roses” by the well-regarded American composer Morten Lauridsen, and “This is How You Love” by Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy Tackach. Notably, Hagen and Tackach had a residency at Northwest earlier this spring, supported by a Missouri Arts Council grant.

The University Chorale is inclusive of all Northwest students and community members, performing one concert per semester with a diverse repertoire that spans from classical to contemporary and Broadway. No auditions are necessary for prospective members.

Conversely, the Tower Choir is an audition-based ensemble comprised exclusively of Northwest students. This choir frequently receives invitations to perform at state conferences and gives concerts for various venues, including educational institutions and religious organizations, across the region.