Heidelberg University-Community Chorus Concert

Join the University-Community Chorus for their fall program, titled “In the Ideal World.”

Lou William-Wimberly’s anthem Break Forth and Sing celebrates the power of music to build community and to serve as the ideal vehicle for praise and worship. Rollo Dilworth’s setting of Langston Hughes’ The Dream Keeper reminds us to respect and protect the dreams of others. While the composer has crafted a melody drawn from the minor pentatonic scale, the accompaniment provides harmonic interest through blues and jazz influences. Rain Come Down is a song of repentance that acknowledges that we often fall short of our ideals. Composer Shawn Kirchner notes that it was written in 1999, soon after the tragic shootings at Columbine High School.

In light of this evening’s concert being presented on Veteran’s Day, we want to take a moment to honor and celebrate all of those who keep our country and communities safe. Our first tribute is Armed Forces Medley: Pride of America. During our performance, we will be singing the service anthems of five different branches of the United States military. We will be announcing those branches aloud and will be displaying their flags while we sing. We invite all veterans who are present this evening to stand or to raise their hands when they hear the song that represents the military branch in which they currently serve or previously served. Our second tribute is Song for the Unsung Hero. In this song, in addition to recognizing our armed service members, we want to express gratitude and appreciation for our first responders.

Waitin’ for the Light to Shine is drawn from the Broadway musical Big River, Roger Miller’s Tony Award-winning adaptation of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This song reminds us that, despite our past failures, we can and should continually strive for a better collective future. Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around, reminds us that we may have to do so in the face of great opposition and adversity.