Contribute to Lincoln's own Choral Continuum

Lincoln Choral Artists are a wonderful group of dedicated singers on the Lincoln choral scene--and their annual fundraiser is taking place on Sunday, March 4, at 4:00pm. LCA concerts feature themes varying from this season's Retrospective - Music of and Inspired by the Renaissance to last year's Sowing the Seeds of Music in Nebraska. It's clear that LCA does a great deal not only with their own music but by bringing other artists and ensembles together.

This year's fundraiser continues the season's theme of A Choral Continuum, this time with Music that Envisions the Future, as LCA President, Curt Butler shared with LincolnCMN:

Sunday's presentation is planned to be a one-of-a-kind concert event, along with a fund-raiser to enhance LCA's ongoing ability to promote the arts. The repertoire for this concert event moves from the somewhat dark lyrics of Genesis' "In the Air Tonight" (when do you ever get to hear a choral performance of Phil Collins?) and Toto's "Africa," into the contemplative "MLK" by U2, "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen and on to the uplifting "Make Them Hear You" from the musical Ragtime, and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Paul Simon. Also in the mix is an Eric Whitacre EDM piece with multimedia and chorus. Featured guests are also joining the fun. Every bit of it is destined to be a musical highlight!

Jason Horner, choral director, says that what makes LCA special is that it "brings some of the best singers and talented community members together to create unique choral experiences...we are made up of a diversity of people that each offer their own gifts to create excellent music." Horner says highlights of Sunday's show include "special guests UNL's Boots and Cats, an all female vocal pop group."

Both Horner and Butler agree that one of the best memories they have with LCA was this season's fall concert which was the Retrospective portion of the Choral Continuum featuring guest ensembles Dulces Voces and the Early Music Consort. Horner shared that: "It was so incredible to sing music in what music scholars think is the original performance setting, with period instruments, and multiple choirs singing across the gulf of a church sanctuary. The setting was gorgeous at St. Thomas Aquinas on the UNL campus. The music was thrilling!" while Butler agreed especially with the location being "a beautiful space!"

Horner explains the idea behind the 2017/2018 season theme of A Choral Continuum, it "uses the idea of time and space to have a conversation of how we observe and perform choral music in the world." Having looked to the past in the fall, for the fundraiser show, "we are looking to the future." Some ways to envision the future are by "using video and audio tracks to tell stories as well as engage the audience in many ways with food, a silent auction, and an opportunity to dance." Of course, even no one would want to miss the final part of the Choral Continuum taking place in April, "we will join forces with Abendmusik and the Nebraska Brass Band to perform music that features music about music and offers the opportunity to the audience to see whats' happening in the present with community music organizations.

Butler loves that LCA "represents a multi-generational cross section of Lincoln and surrounding area singers who all share the same passion -- to encourage promotion of the arts, and to participate in the presentation of beautiful, meaningful musical experiences. To feed the soul!" 

Enjoy and support the work of all those who sing and work behind the scenes in LCA this Sunday at their fundraiser by buying tickets here and keep in mind that, as Butler sums it up:

 ". . . rhythm and harmony permeate the inner part of the soul more than anything else . . ." -- a quote attributed to Plato -- at least according to the world wide web!!  For sure, wise people, for a very long time, have known how significantly music impacts the human existence.  Music feeds the soul.  Lincoln Choral Artists has been in the business of promoting the arts and feeding the soul with vocal music for nearly four decades.  Along the way, LCA projects have provided collaborative opportunities and venues for young singers;  garnered support through mentorship and assistance with local causes;  offered a morale boost for residents of retirement centers;  enhanced the importance of commemoration of significant local, national and international events -- among many, many other things.

Music of another time in a place that takes you back

St. Thomas Aquinas Church
photo credit: huskercatholic.com

Once again, Lincoln Choral Artists brought together musicians from around the community to make an afternoon of musical memories. Featuring "music of and inspired by the Renaissance," guest performers were Dulces Voces, the instrumental ensemble, Lincoln Early Music Consort, and Dan Ahlin at the organ.

In the incredible space of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, the choirs took on the music that has for centuries filled the great spaces of churches. LCA and Dulces Voces tackled a double choir piece, Victoria's Ave Maria. The afternoon was full of beautiful music surrounding the audience with an aural beauty to match the visual beauty of the church.

The lush harmonies of Eric Whitacre's Go Lovely Rose were a jump several hundred years to the future from most of the rest of the program. A few other pieces took us from one century to another, but the result was an afternoon that was a glimpse back in time--and a treat to see more of the talent brought together and the love for music that the wonderful Lincoln community has alive and well.

Nebraska Choirs Unite to Celebrate

Lincoln Choral Artists (LCA) finished their year with a final celebration of the 150th birthday of Nebraska.  Earlier in the choir year, LCA celebrated the sesquicentennial of Nebraska by collaborating with other Lincoln area choirs. This past Sunday, in O'Donnell auditorium on the Wesleyan campus, LCA was joined by singers from across Nebraska. The Heartland Singers of North Platte and the Grand Island City Singers.

Although the theme was "Sowing the Seeds of Music in Nebraska," it was clear from the participation of talented choirs from across the state that there are not only seeds, but many fruits of music in Nebraska!

The Bellissimo handbell choir of Lincoln also performed, a pleasant surprise on an otherwise choral concert, and the audience enjoyed the experience of seeing the talented performance of this community handbell choir.

The best pieces of the concert were the ones especially suited to the theme of Nebraska's celebration. The visiting choirs both performed works by John Rutter, with the North Platte choir's performance of "For the Beauty of the Earth," a most moving performance.

Two pieces were featured by Nebraska composers: "Nebraska Sky," the work of North Platte native, Kim Baxter, and "The Bee and the Frog," performed by LCA, by composer David von Kampen.

"Blow Prairie Winds," "Rattle on the Stove Pipe," "Song of Peace," performed by the bell choir, were other crowd pleasers that kept the Nebraska theme!

Although the concert was longer than many have the attention span for in this day and age, the massed vocal choir performances of "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Beautiful Nebraska/America the Beautiful," and "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" gave a great chance to see the collaboration of the many singers, conductors, pianists, and organist of the day.

Lincoln Choral Artists: Music High Above Lincoln

High above Lincoln in the Nebraska Club, the 20th floor of the US Bank building downtown, the Lincoln Choral Artists (LCA), a talented community choir under the direction of Jason Horner with Dennis Plutalov at the piano, took a little “break” from their usual repertoire and presented “Crooning over Lincoln.” Dinner, concert, and auction all to benefit the wonderful work of LCA in keeping choral music alive and well in our community. Throughout the 2016-2017 year, LCA is celebrating Nebraska for its sesquicentennial, with A Capitol City Choirs Concert in the fall, and the upcoming Sowing the Seeds of Music in Nebraska on May 7th at 3:00pm at O’Donnell Auditorium on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan. 

The gala on Friday, March 3, featured music of the ‘40s and ‘50s, old familiar favorites of Frank Sinatra, the Andrew Sisters, Nat King Cole and more. The choir was challenged to learn different sounds and harmonies than exist in some of their more classical repertoire, but what was most evident throughout program wasn’t the hard work put into the music but the fun the performers were having!

They opened the evening with “Fly Me to the Moon”—memorized, an impressive feat. In between choral pieces, the audience was treated to solos or small groups, some performed by the evening’s M.C., Michael Tully, and some by members of the choir. Not only was the audience tapping their toes along to the tunes, but even when not singing, every member of the choir was engaged, smiling, and moving to the music! Music included "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Java Jive," and a break from the crooner-theme for a Bach Organ Fugue in a challenging choral arrangement!

Once again, LCA proves that a love for music is far from dead in the Lincoln community.

Lincoln's Choral Scene: bright and beautiful

Lincoln Choral Artists came together to celebrate choral music in the Capitol city today with Lincoln Lutheran Choir and the Sacred Arts Homeschool Choirs. On a beautiful November afternoon with sunlight shining through the stained glass windows of College View Church, the audience was treated  to an hour-and-a-half concert with a lovely blend of styles and selections of music.

The setting of the Capitol City Choirs Concert:
College View Church

Perhaps best of all, in a concert featuring local choirs, local composers were featured as well. Jean Henderson, Garrett Hope, David von Kampen, and Kurt Knecht had pieces sung, to name just a few. Music was sung praising God, celebrating Nebraska, and some just for fun.

A crowd pleaser was "I'll Tell My Ma" with clapping and stomping along with the music, although Salmo 150, also sung by the Lincoln Choral Artists, was also attention grabbing in an entirely different way. The children's "Scales and Arpeggios" was delightful and fun, while the combined pieces with all three choirs to end the concert were excellent selections allowing moments where the children's voices rang out clear and then were joined in full chorus.

The homeschool choirs' presence lent a hopeful quality to the concert. The sight--and sound--of the children singing alongside the adult choirs could give no clearer a vision of the future of choral arts in the community: it is a bright one.