The Southwestern College music department will present a concert on Wednesday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m., in Richardson Auditorium.  The concert will include music by the A Cappella Choir, SC Singers, and the combined choirs of Southwestern College, Douglass High School, and Wichita Northwest High School performing “Vesperae Solennes de Confessore,” K. 339 by W. A. Mozart.
           
The six-movement piece will last for 30 minutes.  Along with the combined choirs, four soloists will be featured: Sarah Stevens, Karen (Wilder) Archbold, Brian Stranghoner, and Budi Taniwan.  There will also be an instrumental ensemble with James Leland on the organ.
           
“Mozart was an absolute genius,” says David Gardner, associate professor of music and director of choirs at Southwestern.  “The deeper we go into his music, the more we appreciate him, and the more excited we are to present this work to the Winfield community.”
           
On March 19, Gardner will conduct the Mozart Vespers in Carnegie Hall in New York City.  Joining him in that performance will be several members and alumni of the A Cappella Choir, as well as members of eight other choirs from around the country, including Douglass and Wichita Northwest.  The 200-voice choir will sing with the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International.
           
The A Cappella Choir will perform two of the songs that they performed 10 days ago at the Kansas Music Educators Association convention in Wichita.  One of the two pieces was written by 2009 SC graduate Roger Klein.