WAVERLY, IOWA (February 16, 2023) — Wartburg College's Castle Singers and Kammerstreicher will perform Saturday, February 25, at St Paul Lutheran Church, 2136 Brady St. The concert is part of the ensembles' domestic tour that will go through Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida.
The 2PM performance is open to the public, and donations will be accepted to support future tours and student scholarships. Juniors Amber Sweeney, of Walcott, and Elizabeth Koehler, of Bettendorf, are both members of Castle Singers.
The Castle Singers, under the direction of Nicki Toliver, will perform original works and arrangements by Rene Clausen, Teena Chinn, and Craig Hella Johnson, among others. The Singers also are preparing Claudio Monteverdi's "Sfogava con le Stelle."
"This eclectic program takes the audience and performers on a musical journey through various styles and eras, and it especially evokes a voyage of emotional connections, memories, and rising hope," Toliver said. "Our repertoire includes standards from four centuries and three continents. It is a special pilgrimage of art, life, and beauty."
Kammerstreicher, under the direction of Rebecca Nederhiser, will perform pieces from a selection of works that include Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto in D Minor and Concerto in D Major as well as a special arrangement of Amy Marcy Cheney Beach's "Children's Carnival."
"Our program features works that speak to the human experience. From Florence Price's 'Adoration' to Reena Esmail's 'The Voyage,' audience members will experience music that evokes reflection, joy, beauty, and dance."
The ensembles will join together for a Franz Schubert piece and "The Lake Isle" by Ola Gjelo.
Wartburg, a four-year liberal-arts college internationally recognized for community engagement, enrolls 1,444 students. Wartburg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and named after the castle in Germany where Martin Luther took refuge, disguised as a knight, during the stormy days of the Reformation while translating the Bible from Greek into German.
