Chorale Concerts on Campus and NYC to Celebrate Women’s Voices
The Saint Mary's College Women's Choir is a 40-voice ensemble.Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
November 13, 2014 (Notre Dame, Ind.)— The Saint Mary’s College Department of Music will celebrate women’s voices this month with two events, one in the prestigious Lincoln Center in New York City over the Thanksgiving weekend and one on campus next week.
Music professor Nancy Menk, director of choral activities and the Mary Lou and Judd Leighton Chair of Music, 
Music professor Nancy Menk is director
of choral activities and the Mary Lou
and Judd Leighton Chair in Music.will conduct at both events and each will feature the music of American composer Gwyneth Walker. Walker, who will attend both performances, will work with Saint Mary’s music students while on campus. The New York appearance by the Women’s Choir will be reminiscent of November 2005, when the choir performed music by Walker at Carnegie Hall.
The Fall Choral Concert will take place on Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Little Theatre. The concert will also include performances by the Saint Mary’s Women’s Choir, the Collegiate Choir, and Bellacappella, a student a cappella group. Ticket information is available at MoreauCenter.com.
A week and two days later, on Saturday, November 29 at 7 p.m., the Saint Mary’s College Women’s Choir will perform in “With Grace, The Choral Music of Gwyneth Walker” in Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. The concert, presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York, is billed as a festive, entertaining holiday concert for women’s voices. Other choirs will perform as well, including two conducted by Saint Mary’s music alumnae. Katherine Chmelko ’09 conducts the choir from Nazareth Academy High School in Philadelphia and Jennifer Chester Ferguson ’06 conducts the Colorado Women's Chorale. The New York-based SoHarmoniums Women’s Choir, conducted by Elizabeth Núñez will also perform.
“Choirs love singing the music of American composer Gwyneth Walker for it's beautiful lyricism, energy, and humor.” Menk said. “I'm excited for our students to experience New York City, including the Macy's parade, at this festive time of year, and our Alice Tully Hall concert will be the icing on the cake.”
The Saint Mary’s College Women’s Choir is a select 40-voice ensemble that regularly commissions and performs new works for women's voices. The Choir tours nationally every other year, and regularly performs with the University of Notre Dame Glee Club in joint performances of major works with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. The Women’s Choir has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall in 1999, 2001, and 2005. In March 2011 the Women’s Choir toured China over spring break, visiting Shanghai, Nanjing, and Suzhou.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. The College’s single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2015 published by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate women and prepare them for postgraduate success whether it’s a first job, graduate school, or postgraduate service.