Music ensembles to ring in Christmas season at Concordia
Bells will ring and the music will swing in three winter concerts at Concordia. First, the Concordia Chamber Orchestra will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in the Music Center’s Recital Hall. Then, the Winter JazzFest will showcase Concordia’s Jazz Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Choir onFriday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Weller Hall auditorium. Finally, the Concordia Handbell Choir and Handbell Choir II will perform a concert at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, in the Music Center’s Recital Hall. All concerts are open to the public at no charge.
“I am very proud of the way the students have tackled new challenges this semester,” said Jessica Kite, director of handbell choirs at Concordia. “The students are all busy with multiple activities, ensembles and the musical, but they do not shy away from playing music that stretches them.”
The Chamber Orchestra will perform a variety of folk music as well as “Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the tune “Reverie.”
The Winter JazzFest will feature the Concordia Vocal Jazz Choir as well as the Jazz Ensemble. The band will play a variety of pieces including “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.” The choir will sing ballads and jazz pieces such as “For All We Know” and “Bewitched.”
The handbell concert will include arrangements of traditional Christmas tunes such as “I Wonder as I Wander,” “Carol of the Bells” and “We Three Kings.” The group will also perform the Mannheim Steamroller version of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” Audience members will have an opportunity to try out the bells following the concert.
Members of the Chamber Orchestra include:
Mary Carnoali, sophomore, Hampton, Neb., violin
Donald Dynneson, Seward community member, cello
Ellen Franzmeier, senior, Newell, Iowa, piano
Jonathan Heckmann, senior, Caton, S.D., cello
Natalie Kesar, senior, Omaha, Neb., cello
Sarah Krause, sophomore, Rockford, Ill., viola
Meredith Locke, freshman, Winter Haven, Fla., violin
Emmiline Moll, sophomore, Seward, Neb., violin
Erik Scherer, senior, Bismarck, N.D., violin
Anna Schleusener, junior, Utica, Neb., violin
Members of the Jazz Ensemble include:
Ryan Adam, freshman, Franklin, Neb., saxophone
Jonathon Carnoali, senior, Hampton, Neb., tenor saxophone
Sean Carpenter, senior, Hollis, N.H., piano and percussion
Austin Dukes, sophomore, Independence, Mo., guitar
Mikayla Eifert, freshman, Houston, Texas, trombone
Molly Goltl, freshman, Wichita, Kan., alto saxophone
Ryan Gross, junior, Riverside, Calif., trumpet
Nicholas Harding, senior, Yerington, Nev., baritone
Matthew Kortze, freshman, Rockford, Ill., piano and percussion
Andrew Malan, senior, Lincoln, Neb., saxophone
Carlie Mueller, sophomore, Frankenmuth, Mich., alto saxophone
Paul Nelson, sophomore, Norfolk, Neb., bass saxophone
Jennifer Reynolds, junior, Fort Wayne, Ind., trumpet
Karl Rovey, senior, Springfield, Mo., trumpet
Benjamin Sievert, senior, Frankenmuth, Mich., trumpet
Hannah Weber, senior, Manchester, Iowa, trombone
Members of the Vocal Jazz Choir include:
Karen Burgess, junior, Lee’s Summit, Mo., Soprano I
Jacob Fink, freshman, Long Beach, Calif., Bass I
Benjamin Hayter, sophomore, Concordia, Mo., Tenor II
Tapainga Kahle, freshman, Imperial, Neb., Soprano I
Zachary Klatt, senior, Shawnee Mission, Kan., Tenor I
Matthew Kortze, freshman, Rockford, Ill., Bass II
Adrienne Langewisch, senior, Seward, Neb., Alto I
Meredith Locke, freshman, Winter Haven, Fla., Soprano I
Jordan Miller, senior, Tomball, Texas, Tenor I
Jennifer Reynolds, junior, Fort Wayne, Ind., Alto I
Clara Rich, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb., Alto I
Evan Root, senior, Naples, Fla., Tenor I
Emily Sievert, freshman, Frankenmuth, Mich., Soprano I
Shelby Stolze, junior, Norfolk, Neb., Alto II
Joshua Weishaar, senior, Salinas, Calif., Bass II
Luke Wohlgemuth, senior, Alton, Iowa, Bass I
Members of the Handbell Choir include:
Lara Bergdolt, senior, Grand Island, Neb.
Abigail Connick, senior, Salida, Calif.
Rachel Dahlke, senior, Everett, Wash.
Ellen Franzmeier, senior, Newell, Iowa
Ryan Gross, junior, Riverside, Calif.
Nicolas Harding, senior, Yerington, Nev.
Barbara Leising, senior, Arapahoe, Neb.
Mary Leising, senior, Arapahoe, Neb.
Leah Maag, senior, Waterloo, Ill.
Jennifer Reynolds, junior, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Christian Schultz, senior, Wamego, Kan.
Rebecca Trautman, senior, Moorhead, Minn.
Hannah Weber, senior, Manchester, Iowa
Cenedra White, senior, Fulton, Mo.
Members of the Handbell Choir II include:
Karen Burgess, junior, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Megan Burma, junior, Platte, S.D.
Sean Carpenter, senior, Hollis, N.H.
James Clausen, senior, Hull, Iowa
Erik Geilenkirchen, junior, North Platte, Neb.
Emma Gottschamer, freshman, Lee's Summit, Mo.
Allison Mackie, freshman, Columbus, Neb.
Jordan Miller, senior, Tomball, Texas
Lauren Pankow, senior, Milwaukee, Wis.
Todd Rakow, freshman, Lohman, Mo.
Kelli Ryddner, junior, Mount Pleasant, Wis.
Maria Sasieta, senior, Carrotton, Ill.
Megan Seim, sophomore, Chapman, Neb.
Christopher Wilson, senior, Fremont, Calif.