A Cappella choir spends September weekend in Wichita to perform Brahms’ Requiem
The sanctuary of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kan.
Photo credit: Michaela Gibbs
By Michaela Gibbs
The A Cappella Choir traveled from Seward to Wichita, Kan. on Sept. 26 for a special weekend tour. Photo: Michaela Gibbs.
The organ at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Photo: Michaela Gibbs.
Thursday, September 25
Concordia’s A Cappella choir left campus at around 12:30 p.m. for its trip to perform Brahms’ Requiem, a seven-movement piece composed in the 1860s by German composer Johannes Brahms, which takes over an hour to perform. Once the choir members arrived at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas, they ate dinner and had their first rehearsal from 7-9:30 p.m. with the Wichita Grand Opera. They then met their host families and left for the night.
Friday, September 26
The A Cappella choir started the day with an assembly at Holy Cross Lutheran Grade School at 9:30 a.m. Both the A Cappella Choir and the Chamber Choir– a select group of A Cappella singers– performed. The choir then had lunch and headed to Wichita West Public High School for a choral exchange with the student choir there. Afterwards, the choir spent a few hours at the Towne East Square mall. They then returned to Holy Cross for dinner and the dress rehearsal for Brahms’ Requiem.
Students spent a morning outing at the Sedgewick County Zoo in Wichita. Photo: Michaela Gibbs.
Saturday, September 27
The choir spent the morning at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita. Afterwards, they returned to Holy Cross for lunch before their host families picked them up so the choir could prepare for the performance. At 8 p.m., the Concordia A Cappella choir performed Brahms’ Requiem with members of the Wichita Grand Opera Orchestra and the Wichita Chamber Chorale. The musicians were under the direction of Maestro Whitney Reader and performed with soloists Joel Balzun and Oriana Geis-Falla.
Sunday, September 28
The choir attended the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services at Holy Cross on Sunday morning. They also attended the education hour provided by the church between services. The choir then boarded the bus and traveled back to campus.
