The St. Lawrence University Laurentian Singers and the Watertown High School Select Choir will join forces Wednesday for a benefit concert to raise funds for a New Orleans charity.
The meeting of the voices between the Laurentian Singers and the Select Choir happens every few years. The last time the two groups joined for a concert was three years ago in a performance that raised funds for the Laurentian Singers' trip to Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.
The Wednesday event at First Presbyterian Church will benefit the Steven Spring Foundation in New Orleans, where the Laurentian Singers traveled in March during spring break.
The Steven Spring Foundation was founded in 2005 to aid the survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, specifically by supplying donated instruments and free musical instruction to those in need.
It was founded by Oregon musician and piano tuner Peter Spring, who in the wake of Hurricane Katrina became determined to help the people of New Orleans. The foundation is named after his son who died of cancer in 2002.
As the hurricane recovery effort has progressed, the foundation has expanded its focus from helping music students and musicians at the individual level to developing strong working relationships with school systems in the New Orleans area.
Laurentian director Barry A. Torres said the foundation also repairs instruments, including hurricane-damaged pianos, so they can be played again.
"It's an instrumental clearinghouse for the New Orleans area," Mr. Torres said.
Besides New Orleans, the SLU singers visited Hattiesburg, Jackson and other Mississippi communities. Touring with the group was the Rev. Shaun Whitehead, SLU associate chaplain. Mr. Torres said the singers' repertoire included several songs from the civil rights movement.
The Laurentian Singers, a select undergraduate vocal ensemble whose membership is by audition, also traveled to New Orleans in 2005.
"We wanted to go back to New Orleans because there's a real need," Mr. Torres said.
The Select Choir and the Laurentian Singers will perform separately at the benefit concert. The Select Choir will perform first.
Choir director and WHS music director Russell J. Faunce said his group plans to perform three pieces: "Dirait-On" by American composer Morten Lauridsen; the "Hallelujah" selection from Beethoven's "Christus am Ölberge" ("Christ on the Mount of Olives") and the spiritual "Rejoice and Sing" by American composer Rollo Dilworth.
Mr. Torres said the major piece by the Laurentian Singers will be Randall Thompson's "The Peaceable Kingdom," a dramatic a cappella choral setting of texts from the prophet Isaiah depicting the triumph of good over evil.
"It's a very uplifting work by one of America's great composers," Mr. Torres said.
Other Laurentian Singers selections will include pop and Broadway pieces; "Where Is the Love?" a rap song by the Black Eyed Peas; Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and Mr. Torres's own arrangement of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations."
