The Swinney Conservatory of Music at Central Methodist University will present Fire & Light: Reflections on the Power of Fire and the Enduring Promise of Light, a concert of choral music presented by the Voices of the Conservatory Singers and the Chorale, on September 28. The performance, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Clark with collaborative artist Janet O’Neill, will take place at 3 p.m. at Linn Memorial United Methodist Church on the CMU campus.
The program brings together works that explore creation, renewal, and hope through the symbols of fire and light. Lloyd Pfautsch’s Consecrate the Place and Day opens the concert with a jubilant anthem celebrating the power of music, while Ryan Main’s Dies Irae provides a new dramatic setting of the ancient Latin text that evokes both fear and awe. Morten Lauridsen’s beloved Sure on This Shining Night offers a lyrical moment of peace and beauty, contrasting with the earthy vibrance of Frode Fjellheim’s Eatnemen Vuelie (Song of the Earth), known to many from Disney’s Frozen and infused with the rhythms and colors of Sami chant traditions.
The Chorale portion of the program highlights the fiery intensity of Katerina Gimon’s Fire, which uses vocal techniques to capture the crackle and roar of flames, alongside Ola Gjeilo’s Northern Lights, a shimmering and haunting tribute to the aurora borealis. The ensemble will also perform Dolly Parton’s Light of a Clear Blue Morning, arranged by Craig Hella Johnson as a soulful expression of hope and new beginnings, and Craig Courtney’s radiant Let There Be Light, written in a vibrant jazz-gospel style is a powerful call of for joy. The concert concludes with Elaine Hagenberg’s Splendor from Illuminare, where lush harmonies embody divine light breaking through the darkness.
Audiences are invited to experience this powerful afternoon of music that celebrates both the fierce energy of fire and the gentle promise of light. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Swinney Conservatory of Music at Central Methodist University: (660) 248-6317.
Members of the Conservatory Singers who will be performing include:
Soprano - Meredith Ash, Tori Bales, Olivia Baumhoff, Liz Boyd, Madisyn Conway, Keira Driskell, Abi Evans, Richelle Milburn, Cecilia Rancatore, Alexandria Riley, Lauren Shields, Sandra Wald, and Ruari Wells
Alto - Harmony Andrews, Dr. Barbara Berwin, Alexis Casdorph, Tisha Clark, Charmaine Danda, Rachel Fisher, Morgan Kallmeyer, Alexis Livesay, Emma Mallen, Piper Merrill, Mariah Nichols, and Anna Walker
Tenor - Gessica Bruce, Kyle Drewes, Danny Eckhoff, Hunter Felten, Tyler Hershey, Jackson Krause, Logan Maxwell, and Mauruce O’Neill
Bass - Thomas Beem, Gram Coalier, Eric Jackson, Jason Jones, Matthew Kreisler, Taylor Martin, Landon Meyer, Wyatt Mitchell, Tyler Shull, Edric Twine, and Ayden Zust
Members of the Chorale include:
Soprano - Lizzie Berry, Liz Boyd, Madisyn Conway, Richelle Milburn, Grace O’Neal, Cecilia Rancatore, and Lauren Shields
Alto - Mallory Boyer, Emeline DeLapp, Taylor Derendinger, Anaya Little, Samantha Maddux, Mariah Nichols, Sydney Vangundy, and Jordyn Williamson
Tenor - Douglas Burchett, Danny Eckhoff, Hunter Felten, Owen Flores, Tyler Hershey, Jackson Krause, and Wesley Miner
Bass - Gram Coalier, Davis Conway, Matt Hamilton, Matthew Kreisler, Brandon Prince, Ethan Schaefferkoetter, Edric Twine, and Noah VanGundy
The concert will be livestreamed online for those unable to attend in person. For the link to the stream for this and future concerts and events part of the Swinney Conservatory calendar, visit https://www.centralmethodist.edu/about/campus-attractions/swinney-conservatory/streams.html.