Madison Community Chorus, BJHS Chorale to present Brahms' Requiem

By Staff
Staff Reports Madison County Record
The Madison Community Chorus will be joining with the Birmingham-Southern College Concert Choir and the Bob Jones High School Concert Chorale to present Johannes Brahms' "Requiem" April 23 at the VBC Concert Hall.
Artistic director Michael Gimenez planned this concert as a tribute to his college choir director at Birmingham-Southern College, the late Dr. Hugh Thomas.
Thomas' death in last fall inspired the collaboration.
"I wanted to share this incredible work with singers in our area and felt the performance would be a fitting tribute to the man who taught me so much about choral music," Gimenez said.
The performance will also be in memory of the STS-107 Columbia Crew.
"After the Columbia tragedy happened, it seemed fitting to dedicate this performance to the memory of the crew," Gimenez said. "The space program and NASA touch the lives of just about everyone in this area…this is our way of honoring the crew's sacrifice."
Part of the mission of the Madison Community Chorus is to enable students to experience great musical performances, and this was the idea behind inviting the BJHS Concert Chorale to participate in the performance.
BJHS choir director Randall Fields was enthusiastic about the opportunity for his students to learn this masterwork as well.
The performance will be held Wednesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the VBC Concert Hall.
"Requiem" will be performed in English, a new translation by Lara Hoggard.
Dr. Lester Seigel, Birmingham-Southern choir director, will conduct the combined chorus and full orchestra.
Soloists will be soprano Ginger Simard and baritone Patrick Lamb.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students, seniors and corporate sponsors. Tickets may be purchased by calling 316-0521 or 316-0522, or at the door. Tickets are also available at Shaver's Books in Huntsville and Mulberry Street in Madison.
For more information about the Madison Community Chorus, call Gimenez at 461-9631, email madisonchorus@knology.net, or visit www.knology.net/~madisonchorus.
This production was made possible in part by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.