The Coshocton Community Choir's Music of the Spheres Spring Concert will be held on Sunday, April 29 at 3:00 p.m.at Coshocton High School's McKinley Auditorium. There are over 200 musicians from throughout central Ohio participating in this concert including the adult choir; The Coshocton Singers (grades 4 through 8), the Coshocton Youth Chorale (grades 9 through 12), instrumentals Dickie Barrick and Mark Wagner on piano; and the Roscoe Brass Ensemble.
Now in its 47th season, the Community Choir was organized in 1971 by its director, Charles R. Snyder, a longtime Coshocton teacher, choral director, and church musician. Snyder says the theme for this concert, Music of the Spheres, came to him while on his morning walk.
"On a walk this past fall, I thought about the line from the hymn 'This Is My Father's World' - 'all nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres', said Snyder. "There is music all around us, whether it’s the song of the birds announcing spring, the crunch of dry leaves and twigs on the Lake Park trails and the whistling of fellow walkers, percussive sounds of someone typing on a keyboard, the sounds of pets, the ubiquitous music from radios and electronic devices, or the now ever-present sounds of text message notifications.
"Our choir program explores a wide mix of songs in a variety of styles. Toward the end of the concert, we will sing Dr. Christiansen’s arrangement of 'This Is My Father’s World'."
"I am excited for the audience to hear Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous 'Pie Jesu' with solos for soprano and a boy treble," continued Snyder. "It is the first time since the early 90s that there has been a young man in the Coshocton Singers who is a good fit for the boy treble solo."
"Paul Christiansen's arrangement of the spiritual 'Deep River' is one I’d almost forgotten until one of our basses from Muskingum shared it. It is very different from other arrangements I have heard of the song, and will add a different timbre to the concert."
It has been said that every concert should have something for the head, the heart, and the feet, and there are a few toe-tappers in this program. "'Bound for the Promised Land' is an early American song we have sung before, but this year we are adding brass and flute parts to the four-hand piano accompaniment, which should make an already rhythmic piece even more exciting," added Snyder.
There are also some arrangements of hymns that audience members will know, including 'Lift Up Your Heads', a very famous arrangement of 'Praise to the Lord' and 'When I Survey the Wondrous Cross'. John Rutter’s arrangement of 'Down by the Riverside' will include all three choirs, the Roscoe Brass Quintet, piano, and the opportunity for audience members to sing along on the final stanza. The Coshocton Singer's rendition of 'The Kazoo Koncerto' is sure to bring some laughter and a few surprises.
"I think new listeners to this might be surprised at how similar the Christmas and Spring concerts are," stated Snyder. "We will explore the story of Easter in the first few songs, there will be some familiar songs, and festive decor with beautiful spring flowers adorning the stage. I am convinced you will leave this concert with a renewed spirit, a recharged battery, and a stronger conviction of things that are 'right' in Coshocton County."
The Coshocton Community Choir's Spring Concert Music of the Spheres takes place on Sunday, April 29, at 3:00 p.m. at Coshocton High School's McKinley Auditorium, located at 1205 Cambridge Road in Coshocton. Tickets for the Music of the Spheres concert are $10 for adults and $5 for students and are available at the door, on the choir website www.CoshoctonCommunityChoir.org or by calling Business Manager, Lee Bown at (740) 622-3960.
Pre-sale tickets are also available from choir members and at the following ticket outlets: In Coshocton at Marilyn's Natural Foods or Buehler's Foodmarket; Newcomerstown at Baker's Foods; West Lafayette at Home Loan Savings Bank; and in Roscoe Village at the Coshocton County Convention & Visitors Bureau Office.
"After every concert I hear from a few lifelong Coshocton County residents who had not known there is a Community Choir here, and experienced our concert because someone invited them," Snyder shared. "Their joy and delight is obvious as they talk about the three choirs; the soloists; Dickie Barrick, our fine accompanist; and the Roscoe Brass Quintet. I encourage you to invite someone to join you for our 47th spring concert, Music of the Spheres!"