Under the direction of Dr. Rowland Blackley, professor of Music and director of Choral Activities, and accompaniment by University organist Dr. Timothy Guenther, the Ashland University Choir and Chamber Singers presented a winter choral concert on Sunday, Feb. 26.

The concert was filled with selections of songs that the choirs will be singing on their March tour to Germany.

Many of the selections are from the Americas and written by composers from the United States, Canada and Latin America.

The University Choir is also preparing music by Bach and other Lutheran composers.

In Germany, the students will be singing in churches in the region of Germany where Martin Luther made history such as The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin and St. Thomas in Leipzig.

The University Choir will perform J. S. Bach’s motet Jesu,, meine  Freude, Sing Joyfully by William Byrd, Set Me as a Seal from Daniel Pinkham’s Wedding Cantata, Praise to the Lord by Hugo Distler, Ich freue mich (I will rejoice) by Gottfried Homilius, How Can I Keep from Singing by Z. Randall Stroope and Jack Halloran’s arrangement of the spiritual Witness.

The Chamber Singers will round out the program with four selections including Mosquitoes, from Due North by Canadian composer Stephen Chatman; the popular Cuban folk song Son de Camaguey; Eric Whitacre’s A Boy and a Girl; and Darmon Meador’s a cappella arrangement of I’ll Be Seeing You.

Having been to Greece and Italy, Emily Sycks a junior here at Ashland University will be one of the many going on this trip to Germany.

The song she is most excited to sing is “Witness” by Jack Halloran. “It’s exciting and upbeat, and the choir loves it!” Sycks said.

“I’m personally most excited to just see the world,” Sycks said. “Having the opportunity to experience different cultures is not only exciting, but educational as well!”

“The University choir is on an every-four-year cycle of European trips, to compliment our annual domestic performance tours we chose to go there, and I hired a tour company to assist in our planning,” Dr. Rowland Blackley said.

With a total of 40 students, faculty, and family the trip will not only be filled with singing but they will be sightseeing, eating and drinking at local establishments, along with being indulged within Germany’s history and culture.

Sycks says that the chance to sing at these specific churches is phenomenal. It will definitely be a trip she and the others will always remember.

“We have a multi-lingual, very well-education tour guide with us all the time,” Dr. Blackley said.

The students are not the only ones excited for their overseas trip, “We are very excited about sharing American music with German audiences, singing pieces written by composers such as J.S. Bach in their original setting, and just being in Germany!” Dr. Blackley said.