Nova Singers: “A Procession Walking Around Me" -- October 8 and 9.
Saturday, October 8, 7:30 p.m.
First Lutheran Church, 364 East Water Street, Galesburg IL
Sunday, October 9, 4 p.m.
St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2136 Brady Street, Davenport IA
For their first concert events of the 2022-23 season, Galesburg's professional vocal ensemble the Nova Singers will explore the unique blend of choir and guitar in October 8 and 9 performances of A Procession Winding Around Me, performed under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane and alongside a special guest artist: classical guitarist Dr. Angelo Favis.
With the concerts featuring presentations of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Romancero gitano, a musical snapshot of flamenco culture in southern Spain, accompaniment will be provided by Favis, a prizewinning performer of solo and chamber music who has been a featured soloist with the Saigon and Philippine Philharmonic Orchestras. Favis earned his B.M. and M.M. in Guitar Performance under Lawrence Ferrara and David Tanenbaum at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and his D.M.A. from the Manhattan School of Music under Nicholas Goluses and David Starobin.
In describing their season opener, Nova Singers founder and music director Lane says, "I am thrilled to be able to feature Angelo Favis, whose skill and expressiveness on the guitar are truly extraordinary. Every moment of this music is unique and beautiful! A Procession Winding Around Me is utterly gorgeous and deeply moving. Romancero is a delight for the ears, with its sweet melodies and lush harmonies. It’s also full of fantastic rhythms, as the composer evokes a variety of flamenco-style dances from Andalusia, Spain. The audience will love hearing the solo voices that soar above the choral texture. Plus, both works feature special effects for the guitar that are rarely heard.”
Founded by Lane in 1986, Nova Singers is a 17-voice ensemble with a nation-wide reputation for expressiveness, virtuosity, and innovative programming. Nova Singers has performed at state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, has produced nine professional recordings, and has received numerous grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. From Byrd to Brahms to Arvo Pärt, versatility and flexibility have been hallmarks of the organization, and their uniqueness is frequently demonstrated in Nova Singers’ world premieres of commissions from composers such as Ruth Watson Henderson, Thea Musgrave, Bruce Polay, William Hawley, and Daniel Godsil. Composing the Nova Singers in its 2022-23 season are: Madalynn Baez; Heather Beck; Patt Burr; Tom Clark; Hillary Erb; Curtis Fischer-Oelschleager; David Foster; Allison Good; Peggy Hamilton; Dakota Howard; Joel Kolander; Sarah Lounsberry; Libby Moore; Brandon Ouellette; Callen Sederquist; Rachel C. Vickers; and John Whitson.
The Nova Singers' A Procession Walking Around Me concerts will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on October 8 and 4 p.m. on October 9, with Saturday's engagement at the First Lutheran Church in Galesburg, and Sunday's at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport. Admission is $17-20, with students admitted free, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)341-7038 and visiting NovaSingers.com.
