Author Archives: RiverChor

Messiah Rehearsals Begin….

It is time to start rehearsals for Messiah, a tradition that has graced the Clinton area for over 75 years.  Anyone in the Gateway area is invited to sing.  This is year 3 of the cycle, so the bulk of Handel’s work will be performed with orchestra.

Rehearsals are on Monday evenings from 7-8pm in the Great Hall of First Presbyterian Church, 400 5th Ave South, Clinton, IA.  Enter through the church office door to the rear of the church and ascend to the upper level via stairs or elevator.  Bring your own score, or there are scores available to borrow.

Handel’s Messiah will be performed on Sunday, December 2, time TBA (afternoon), at Zion Lutheran Church.

Join us for Rutter’s Requiem, and more!

We hope you will be able to join us this Sunday, October 27.  We will be performing in the sanctuary of Zion Lutheran Church of Clinton, at 2pm.

We will open the concert with John Rutter’s Requiem. We will be joined by several talented local instrumentalists, and take advantage of the organ in the church.

The second half of our concert will be RiverChor’s typical delightful mix of music from sublime to silly.  We’ll paint a sunset, go down to the river, tell the tale of a talking scarecrow, and take you to the wild west.

If you’d like to read more, the Clinton Herald printed a nice article in Wednesday’s paper.  It may be read here. Hope to see you there!

RiverChor’s Fall Concert

RiverChor will present a fall choir concert on Sunday, October 28 at 2pm in Zion Lutheran Church, Clinton, Iowa.  Musical selections are:

Song of Triumph; Dale Grotenhuis

Jam Sol Recedit (Now Sinks the Sun); Horatio W. Parker

Down to the River to Pray; Mack Wilberg

The Terrible Tale of Tom Gilligan; John Rutter

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d; Ethan McGrath, text: Walt Whitman

Old West Medley; arr.  Mark Hayes

Requiem; John Rutter

We will be joined on the Rutter Requiem by a small orchestra.  We hope you can join us for this beautiful concert.

RiverChor Announces Auditions and Concert Dates for 2012-13 Season

Auditions for all sections of RiverChor will be held Sunday, September 9, from 1-3pm in the sanctuary of Zion Lutheran Church, 439 Third Ave South, Clinton, Iowa.  Auditions will last about 10 minutes, and it is not necessary to have anything prepared.  An alternative audition can be arranged if necessary, please contact our director, Rob Engelson.  Rehearsals begin Monday, September 10.

RiverChor’s fall concert will feature John Rutter’s Requiem, and will take place Sunday, October 28, 2pm, Zion.   The full Messiah with orchestra will be performed on December 2, time tba, Zion.  The choir will take part in the Clinton Symphony’s Winter Pops concert on December 8, 7:30pm at Clinton High.  Our spring concert will be Sunday, April 14, 2pm Zion.

We hope you can join us this season!

RiverChor in concert, April 15

Finish your taxes early so you can come out and enjoy RiverChor’s spring concert!  It will be Sunday, April 15th, at 2:00pm in Zion Lutheran Church of Clinton, Iowa.  We will sing our usual delightful mix of styles, and will be joined by a variety of instruments.   Here is our tentative program:

Ubi Caritas ……………………… Ola Gjeilo

Lass Dich Nur Nichts Nicht Dauren (Let Nothing Ever Grieve Thee) …….. Johannes Brahms

Te Deum ………………………. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdi

Gloria …………………….  Antonio Vivaldi

At Last  …….. featuring our Women

Manly Men …….. featuring our own Manly Men

Aftonen (Evening) ……….. Hugo Alfven

Forever in Dala ……………. Hugo Alfven

A Maiden is in a Ring ……. Hugo Alfven

Camptown Races …………… Stephen Foster, arr. Jack Halloran

Shenandoah …………………… arr. Norman Luboff

Whoopee Ti Yi Yo ………….. arr. Norman Luboff

How Can I Keep from Singing …………… Taylor Davis

Abide with Me ………………. arr. Moses Hogan

Ezekiel Saw De Wheel …………… arr. William L. Dawson

 

Holiday Pops Concert – December 10

Please join the Clinton Symphony Orchestra and RiverChor for an evening of Holiday music at 7:30pm, Saturday, December 10, at Vernon Cook Theater in Clinton High School.  RiverChor will be presenting suite one of The Many Moods of Christmas by Robert Shaw, and will be joined by local high school students for several choruses of Handel’s Messiah, as well as the traditional carol sing-a-long.  For complete program and ticket information, please see Clinton Symphony’s website.

Messiah Rehearsals Begin – Join Us!

You are cordially invited to participate in a tradition that has been ongoing  since 1931 in Clinton, Iowa – the annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah”.  This is year two of the cycle, which means we will perform all of the Christmas portion, plus selected other choruses.  Dr. Rob Engelson is the director, and Christine Holmer the pianist.

If you would like to sing, rehearsals start November 21, and are Monday evenings at 7pm (until about 7:45 or 8:00) in the choir room at Lyons Middle School.  You are welcome to bring your own score, or there will be copies to borrow.

Of course, no performance is complete without an audience!  Please put Sunday, December 18th, at 3:00pm in Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton on your calendar.  The concert is free.

RiverChor announces Fall Concert

The Gateway area’s premier chorus invites you to attend their fall concert, which will be on Sunday, November 13, at 2pm.  The location is Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, Iowa.

Reflections

Justorum animae………..Charles Villiers Stanford

Beati quorum via……………Charles Villiers Stanford

Splendid Jewel ………………… Stephen Paulus

Connie Swanson-DeSpain, soloist

Zadok the Priest …………….. George Frideric Handel

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d ….. Ethan McGrath (words Walt Whitman)

In Remembrance………………………Jeffery L. Ames

Julie Marston, violin

Little Elegy ………………………….. Stephen Paulus

Now Let Us Sing (Women’s Feature)…………….Gwyneth Walker

Whalen’s Fate (Men’s Feature)…………………..Stephen Paulus

Luke Vander Bleek, soloist

Wondrous Love ……………………………. James E. Clement

Let Me Fly …………………………………. Robert DeCormier

Mark Kapusinski, soloist

Shenandoah ………………………………….. Gregg Smith

Bile Them Cabbage Down …………….. Mack Wilberg

Joe Snyder, soloist, and Julie Marston, violin

A New Season, time to Audition!

Do you enjoy singing, or know someone who does? We invite all Gateway area vocalists to audition for RiverChor. Auditions last about 10 minutes, and there is no need to prepare anything. We have openings in all sections.

RiverChor Auditions
1-3pm, Sunday, September 11
Zion Lutheran Church, Choir Room
439 Third Ave. South, Clinton, Iowa

An alternate audition time may be arranged by contacting Dr. Rob Engelson at 563-243-6042 or 563-212-6555.

The choir will resume rehearsals on Monday, September 12th, at 7pm in the Lyons Middle School choir room.