Northwestern to present Raider Days Concert

Northwestern College’s music department will present its annual Raider Days Concert on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in Christ Chapel. It will feature performances by the A cappella Choir, Women’s Choir, Heritage Singers, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and several student soloists. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Jazz Band will open the concert with “Flirtibird” by Duke Ellington and “Imminent Impact” by Les Sabina.

The A cappella Choir will perform “Lux Aurumque” by Eric Whitacre, “John the Revelator” by Sean Ivory and Paul Caldwell, and Jake Runestad’s “Nyon, Nyon,” which explores various colors and rhythms in a virtuosic context.

Aaron Copland’s “Simple Gifts” will be performed by the Women’s Choir, in addition to “The Seal Lullaby” by Rudyard Kipling, “Set Me as a Seal” by Rene Clausen and Irish folk song “World Music Suite,” arranged by Donald Patriquin.

The Heritage Singers will perform Ward Swingle’s arrangement of Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor” and a couple selections from Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Waltzer” (Love Song Waltzes).

“October” by Eric Whitacre will be performed by the Chamber Orchestra, as well as “Household Music, 2nd Movement” by R. Vaughan Williams.

The Symphonic Band’s repertoire includes Morton Gould’s “American Salute” and Carter Pann’s “Renee’s Reply from Richard and Renee,” featuring a piano solo by Andrew Currier of Ottawa, Kan., the recipient of the McGilvra Keyboard Competitive Scholarship. The band will also play three movements from “Suite from Star Wars,” including “Princess Leia’s Theme,” “The Imperial March/Forest Battle,” and “Star Wars (Main Title).”

As the 2015 recipient of the Cyndy Rowenhorst Vocal Scholarship, Jacob Ven Huizen of Sheldon, Iowa, will sing “Zueignung Op. 10, No. 1” by Richard Strauss. Also performing student solos during the concert are Drew Lemke, the 2015 recipient of the Herman and Elizabeth Ritsema Family Instrumental Scholarship, and Mackenzie Phillips, the 2015 recipient of the Bogaard Memorial Scholarship in Strings.