Lubbock Christian University’s (LCU) Praise Choir and Chamber Singers resumed their combined choir concerts, this time alongside the choral groups from South Plains College (SPC).
“We are so excited to be able to present another collaborative concert, this time with South Plains College Choirs,” shared Dr. Philip Camp, Director of Choirs and Professor of Music.
From 2008 until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, LCU Choirs and Wayland Baptist University had performed combined choir concerts featuring monumental works such as Haydn’s “Nelson Mass,” Mozart’s “Solemn Vespers,” Mark Hayes’ “Te Deum,” and Handel’s “Coronation Anthem.” Like many other university events, the global pandemic interrupted this rhythm of collaboration, and it wasn’t until this past year that a similar event began to take shape.
“After COVID, we did start talking with Wayland Baptist again to see about working together on another collaborative concert series, but we just could not get our schedules to coordinate,” Dr. Camp explained. “About a year ago, Dr. Laurie Doyle suggested that I reach out to Dr. Deborah Gelber at South Plains College… and so here we are!”
This concert featured individual performances by various ensembles from both LCU’s and SPC’s programs, in addition to the combined performances. LCU’s Praise Choir performed “songs of hope, peace, joy, and love,” a sampling of their set list for their upcoming summer tour of Northern Ireland in May.
“In the second half of the program, the 18 members of Chamber Singers joined the 25 members of South Plains College’s Concert Choir and our collaborative pianist, Anh Collins, to perform a selection from Harlem Songs by Gwyneth Walker: #3 Tambourines, conducted by Dr. Gelber,” Dr. Camp shared. “Then, they performed two sections from In Windsor Forest by Ralph Vaughan Williams: #4 Wedding Chorus and #5 Epilogue.”
The program concluded with all the vocalists performing “The Lord Bless You and Keep You”—the signature concert ending of LCU’s Praise Choir.
“This has been a very good collaborative effort as the LCU Chamber Singers and the SPC Concert Choir are very close in size, and blend very well together,” Dr. Camp lauded. “We’ve had a few music students transfer to LCU after two years at SPC, and hopefully this will result in more such opportunities.”
LCU’s Choirs will perform their next concert at the Shallowater Church of Christ on Sunday, April 28 at 5 p.m.—admission is free.