Tickets & Events
SONGS OF LAND AND COUNTRY
November 23 — 4:00pm
In celebration of Dr. Colleen Chester's inaugural year as Chorale Director with Rochester Symphony, we present this special performance showcasing beloved choral favorites. In a collection of pieces that evoke our tender relationships to land, nature, history and home, this program is a perfect start to your Thanksgiving week.
Admission is donation based. Open to the public with no advance reservations required.
Read more about Rochester Symphony Chorale Director, Colleen Chester, below.
PROGRAM INCLUDES
El Pueblo Unido (The People United) | Sergio Ortega, arr. Gene Glickman
Shenandoah | American Folk Song, arr. James Erb
Fern Hill | John Corigliano, poem by Dylan Thomas
Finlandia | Jean Sibelius
O Schöne Nacht | Johannes Brahms, poem by Georg Friederich Daumer
Schöne Fremde, Op. 3, No. 2 | Fanny (Mendelssohn) Hensel
Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal | Traditional Hymn, arr. Alice Parker
The Road Home | Stephen Paulus
Let the River Run | Carly Simon, arr. Craig Hella Johnson
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
We are delighted to bring a new type of concert experience to our audience and community with the Rochester Symphony Chorale. When thinking about the theme for this concert, I was inspired by the beauty that this part of the country graces us with each autumn. Southeast Minnesota offers so much beauty this time of year, with the vibrant display of fall colors as well as the change of season that comes with the farmland and plains of this region. With that in mind, Corigliano's Fern Hill kept coming to mind. Dylan Thomas' poetry presents extraordinary imagery of farm animals, the beauty of the stars, the barley and green grass, all while marking the passage of time in one's life. I've crafted the rest of the program to look at land and country from two juxtaposing viewpoints: landscape and countryside, as depicted in two German Romantic works by Johannes Brahms and Fanny Hensel (Mendelssohn), as well as country as a place of origin or residence with Sibelius' Finlandia. We hope this collection of songs will bring moments of musical celebration as well as introspection, and we look forward to connecting with new and returning audience members this season!
- Colleen Chester, Rochester Symphony Chorale Director
Chorale Director
Dr. Colleen Chester is currently in her inaugural year leading the Rochester Symphony chorale. Chester serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Winona State University where she she directs all choral ensembles in addition to teaching courses in music education (conducting, secondary choral methods, and vocal pedagogy) and Women in Music. In 2024 she received an Outstanding Professor Award.
Prior to her graduate studies, she was the Director of Vocal Music at San Luis Obispo High School and Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo, California. Her passion for music-making at all levels has led to her work with numerous church, community, and non-profit organizations including Choral Arts Initiative, San Luis Obispo Master Chorale, Canzona Women’s Chorus, Pacific Chorale, and Oregon Bach Festival.
Chester is actively involved in the community as a clinician, presenter, and conductor, and maintains a professional singing agenda both as a mezzo-soprano soloist and ensemble member of mirabai. She holds degrees from California State University, Fullerton (BA Music Education), University of Georgia (MM Conducting), and Michigan State University (DMA Conducting). Dr. Chester is thrilled to be part Rochester Symphony's artistic team and working to uphold the legacy of artistic and community engagement with the organization.