Carson Chamber singers present concert May 1

Staff Report

The Carson Chamber Singers, directed by Judy Monson, present "The Stars Above the Hill," their 25th season concert, 7:30 p.m. May 1, at Sarah Winnemucca Hall in the Aspen Building at Western Nevada College, 2201 W. College Parkway, Carson City.

The program includes sacred and secular works, and features the premiere of David Dickau's, "The Stars Above the Hill," conducted by the composer. The Carson Chamber Singers will be accompanied at the piano by Nancy Mielke.

"Concert selections range from the reverence of William Byrd's 'Ave Verum Corpus' to the joy of 'Down By the Riverside' and on to reflections of love as well as despair," said director Judy Monson. "The concert theme of 'The Stars Above the Hill' incorporates messages of springtime, looking down on our faith, revelations, and hope. You will find opportunity to reflect, chuckle, revel, soar, and be comforted. Come, join us, and experience the beauty and magic of great choral music.

"We are excited and honored to have Dr. Dickau write the commission piece for us in celebration of our 25th season and to come to Carson City to work with us," said Monson. "His style is rich, varied, buoyant, and most pleasing to the ear."

Other selections on the program by Dickau include "Echo" and "I Love My Love."

The Carson Chamber Singers, a group of about 30 singers, formed in 1985 as an affiliate of the Carson City Symphony. Their repertoire includes classical, popular, seasonal, and contemporary works. They have sung in Carson City, Virginia City, Genoa, Minden, Reno, and Fallon. Each year, they perform on the Carson City Symphony's Holiday Treat and Pops Party concerts, and participate in the Reno Philharmonic's annual Fourth of July Pops in the Park concert in Genoa.

Admission to the May 1 concert is $15 for general admission; $12 for seniors, students, and Carson City Symphony Association members; and free for age 16 and under. Advance tickets available at Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, online at ActivityTickets.com, and at the door.

As part of his residency activities in Nevada, Dickau holds a choral master class, 1 p.m. April 30 in room 110 at the Church Fine Arts Building at the University of Nevada, Reno, with the UNR Concert Choir. This event is open to choral conductors, singers, and the public at no charge.

The concert and Dickau's residency are funded, in part, by grants from Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program, Healthy Trees, the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information, call the Carson City Symphony at 883-4154.