Spring Student Musical Performances at McDaniel College

Students at McDaniel College participate in a variety of spring musical performances at the college, which are free and open to the public. 

Find details including date, location, time and participants below. 

College Choir Concert
Sunday, April 28, 7 p.m.
Baker Memorial Chapel at McDaniel College, 2College Hill, Westminster, Md. 

Under the direction of Margaret Boudreaux, professor and department chair of the music department, the college choir presents “Songs of Conflict and Reconciliation” commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, specifically the Battles of Gettysburg and Antietam.

Student soloists perform, including senior Lisa Staples of Burtonsville, Md., sophomores Matthew Butt of Marriottsville, Md., and Foster McDaniel of Hendersonville, Tenn., and freshmen Daniel Beane of Bel Air, Md., Rachel Brown of Monkton, Md., Erica Cichetti of Hanover, Pa., Joshua Harding of Federalsburg, Md., Malcolm Jones of Annapolis, Md., Jennifer Litzinger of West Windsor, N.J., Morgan Stanback of North Highlands, Calif., and Melissa Williams of New Windsor, Md. A student percussion ensemble comprised of senior Bernadette Jankowski of Hampstead, Md., junior Madeline Jackowski of Cumberland, Md., and freshman Norman Lezama of Rockville, Md., accompanies the choir on a work based on Walt Whitman’s poem “Beat, Beat Drums.” Seniors Monika Lemke of Westminster, Md., and Veronica Lathroum of Linthicum Heights, Md., are featured on flute.

Other featured works are Peter Wilhousky’s arrangement of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and his lesser-known arrangement of “When Johnnie Comes Marching Home.”

Senior Lisa Staples, student conductor, conducts Oscar Peterson’s jazz anthem, “Hymn to Freedom,” accompanied by senior Charles Eron of Hanover, Pa., on piano, junior Kevin Alexander of Bethesda, Md., on bass, and McDaniel alumnus Aaron Donato of Reisterstown, Md., on drums.  

The concert also includes premieres of several short new arrangements by Boudreaux of Civil War songs, including “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching,” “Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground,” “Hard Times Come Again No More,” and “Goober Peas.” 

Pianist David Kreider, music senior lecturer at McDaniel, will accompany the choir joined by McDaniel College organist Ted Dix and Nick Reider, adjunct faculty member in music, on trumpet.

Benefit Recital by the Members of Beta Alpha Chi
Saturday, May 4, 1 p.m.
Baker Memorial Chapel at McDaniel College, 2College Hill, Westminster, Md.

Members of Beta Alpha Chi, the music honor society at McDaniel College, perform a benefit recital. Although the concert is free and open to the public, donations will be collected to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Performers are seniors Kirsten Bickford of Sykesville, Md., Charles Eron of Hanover, Pa., Hanna Martin of New Windsor, Md., and Lisa Staples of Burtonsville, Md., junior Luis Ortiz of Providence, R.I., and sophomore Victoria Mansfield of Mount Airy, Md.

Among the selections they will perform are Jason Robert Brown’s “Stars and the Moon” (Martin), the folk song, “How Can I Keep from Singing?” (Martin and Staples), Benjamin Britten’s “The Last Rose of Summer” (Staples), Hindemith Sonata for Flute Movement 3, Sehr Lebhaft (Bickford and Mansfield), and some of Mozart’s piano sonatas (Mansfield).

Musical Theatre/Opera Workshop Performance
Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m.
WMC Alumni Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

 The Musical Theatre/Opera Workshop class at McDaniel performs “FREDENSTEIN” or “In your face, my brother,” under the direction of Kyle Engler, senior music lecturer. Robin Armstrong, associate professor of music at McDaniel, serves as musicologist and narrator.

The program includes “Soave Trio” from Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte,” “One More Kiss” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies,” “We Can Do It” from Mel Brooks’ “The Producers,” “I Have a Song to Sing” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Yeoman of the Guard,” “Sensitivity” and “Love Song” from Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer’s “Once Upon a Mattress,” among others.

The class, which is comprised of music and theatre students, includes seniors Caitlin Bennett of Bothell, Wash., Yichong Angel Li of Nanjing, China, Hanna Martin of New Windsor, Md., and Mara Seibert of Laurel, Md., sophomore Lucas Frangou of Silver Spring, Md., and freshmen Erna Hammond of Brooklyn Park, Minn., and Melissa Williams of New Windsor, Md.

An Evening of Madrigals
Monday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.
Baker Chapel at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

Sophomores Matthew Butt of Marriottsville, Md., Foster McDaniel of Hendersonville, Tenn., and Erin Morris of Crofton, Md., and freshmen Clarissa Balint of Mount Rainier, Md., RachelBrown of Monkton, Md., Erna Hammond of Brooklyn Park, Minn., Joshua Harding of Federalsburg, Md., Malcolm Jones of Annapolis, Md., Joanne McCoy of Bowie, Md., Emma Richard of Denton, Md., and Melissa Williams of New Windsor, Md., make up the Madrigal Singers, under the direction of music professor Margaret Boudreaux.

This premier vocal ensemble at McDaniel performs diverse a cappella styles covering several nations and a wide range of cultures andperiods. The majority of the program consists of Renaissance music and poetry, primarily about romantic love, but other genres include vocal jazz with “Pavanne for a True Musical Prince” by Milcho Leviev and a traditional spiritual with “Steal Away” arranged by Moses Hogan. Some pieces mix time periods, such as a set of songs by modern California composer Matthew Harris based on texts byWilliam Shakespeare, and a 17th century piece by Henry Purcell titled “Nymphs and Shepherds,” originally a solo piece that Boudreaux has arranged for mixed voices. Another highlight is the Argentinian piece “Alma Ilanera,” which features the singers imitating instruments, as well as singing Spanish lyrics. German, Italian and French selections also will be performed and audience participation is encouraged throughout the program.

Jazz Night
Thursday, May 9, 8 p.m.
Decker Center Forum at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

Directed by Bo Eckard, senior lecturer in music, Jazz Night highlights the Thursday Jazz Ensemble, Monday Jazz Ensemble, and the eight-piece Jazz Combo with vocalists seniors Jonathan Lightner of Perry Hall, Md., and Lisa Staples of Burtonsville, Md., and freshman Katya Spitznagel of Parkton, Md 

Other McDaniel students performing are seniors Charles Eron of Hanover, Pa., AnnaFine of Ridgewood, N.J., Noah Patton of Montgomery Village, Md., and Eric Spioch of Westminster, Md., juniors Kevin Alexander of Bethesda, Md., Gram Arnsberger of Gaithersburg, Md., Kyle Chittim of Annapolis, Md., Alan Lyons of Westminster, Md., Jasmine McCormick of Antioch, Calif., Caitlin Wagner of Severn, Md., and Andrew Wooden of Monkton, Md., sophomores Steven Crickman of Marriottsville, Md., and Hunter Montgomery of Concord, Mass., and freshmen Norman Lezama of Rockville, Md., and Shannon Murphy of East Berlin, Pa.

Styles of jazz represented include classic big band swing, bebop, Latin, funk, jazz-rock and Tin Pan Alley.  

College Band Concert
Friday, May 10, 7 p.m.
WMC Alumni Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

Under the direction of Linda Kirkpatrick, senior lecturer in music, the College Band Concert includes more than 60 McDaniel students, faculty members, alumni, and community musicians.

Musical selections for the concert are Jager’s “Third Suite” and Holst’s “Second Suite in F,” both of which are from traditional wind band literature, as well as highlights from Broadway’s “Man of La Mancha,” John Williams’ “Dartmoor, 1912,” from the movie “War Horse,” “El Camino Real” by Alfred Reed, and “Sleep” by Eric Whitacre.    

Students performing are senior Bernadette Jankowski of Hampstead, Md., and Sarah Lange of Woodbine, Md., juniors Elyssa Sykes Bidwell of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., Olivia Brundage of Westminster, Md., Madeline Jackowski of Cumberland, Md., Alan Lyons of Westminster, Md., Luis Ortiz of Providence, R.I., and Caitlin Wagner of Severn, Md., sophomores Kent Hu of Providence, R.I., Victoria Mansfield of Mount Airy, Md., and Maura Wesen of Rosemount, Minn., and freshmen Anthony Kormann of Glenwood, Md., Norman Lezama of Rockville, Md., and Ricky Tisinger of Edinburg, Va.  

Gospel Choir Concert
Sunday, May 12, 3 p.m.
WMC Alumni Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

McDaniel College’s Gospel Choir, under the direction of Eric Byrd, music lecturer, performs spirituals, as well as traditional and contemporary gospel music. Highlights include “You Hold My World” by Israel Houghton and “And We Are Glad” by Joe Pace.

The concert kicks off with a special performance by Voices of Praise, a smaller ensemble consisting ofselect members of the Gospel Choir, singing “Make Me Over” by The Walls Group and “Show Yourself Strong” by Fred Hammond.

The Gospel Choir consists of seniors Dovetta Blair* of Baltimore, Rachel Cash of Washington, D.C., Rosalie Edelston of Cos Cob, Conn., Robert Kapp of Westminster, Md., Kristina Karim-Makle of Baltimore, Elizabeth Kavitsky of Lumberton, N.J., Danielle Kestner of Frederick, Md., Monika Lemke of Westminster, Md., Ja’Nairra Myers of Baltimore, Margaret O’Connor of Silver Spring, Md., Mara Seibert of Laurel, Md., and Autumn Wenderoth of Westminster, Md.

Juniors are Stephanie Akoto* of Columbia, Md., Jennifer Bland of Olney, Md., Hillary Deweese of White Hall, Md., Brittany Fleming of Burlington, N.J., Shanice Hackley of Owings Mills, Md., Emily Kurtyka of Middletown, Md., Megan McCargish of Reisterstown, Md., Brighid Molony of Conway, S.C., Josiah Nusbaum of Westminster, Md., Cindy Reid of Brooklyn, N.Y., Daniel Seibert of Middletown, Pa., Elyssa Sykes Bidwell of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., Jesica West of Cambridge, Md., and Joseph Wright of Westminster, Md.

Other student performers include sophomores Marketty Bleck* of Bowie, Md., Sean Durkin of Baltimore, Ashanti Edwards* of Washington, D.C., Brianna Gaines of Hyattsville, Md., Chesney Jamieson* of La Plata, Md., Lauren Lewis of Annapolis, Md., Victoria Mansfield of Mount Airy, Md., Akela Peters of Jersey City, N.J., and Avery Udell of Oxford, Mich., and freshmen Malcolm Jones ofAnnapolis, Md., Natalie Kendall of Woodbine, Md., Joanne McCoy of Bowie, Md., Jasmine Nunez* of Aspen Hill, Md., Andrea Richardson of Silver Spring, Md.,Justine Tinnin* of Baltimore, Natarsha Towner of Brooklyn, N.Y., Emma West of Cambridge, Md., and Melissa Williams of New Windsor, Md.

For more information, call 410-857-2599. Visit www.mcdaniel.edu/music for information about McDaniel’s music department. 

Information in this post taken from a McDaniel College news release.