For the past eight months, the Chamber Singers have enriched the lives of Lincoln audiences with entertaining and scholarly performances of diverse choral repertoire from ancient Gregorian chant to vocal polyphony of the Renaissance to the splendors of J. S. Bach to the most recent trends in choral composition. On April 19, this eventful academic year will culminate in a concert highlighting new chamber choral music by Nebraska composers in the vibrant acoustic of Lincoln’s Westminster Presbyterian Church. Under the direction of Dr. Matthew Oltman, the 18 finely-skilled young singers will give the world premieres of compositions by UNL student composers Lauren Bydalek and Spencer Perkins. Also representing UNL are compositions by D.M.A. candidate Marat Sanatullov and Lecturer in Music David von Kampen. Rounding out the program is a virtuoso “modern madrigal” by Omaha-based composer, Bryan Stanley.

The University Singers will close the program with one of the seminal works from the end of the 20th Century, Morton Lauridsen’s immortal Lux Aeterna, an amazing choir and small orchestra work written by Lauridsen, the head of composition at the University of Southern California, to memorialize his mother who had recently passed away. He said that he thought his mother was the most beautiful person in the world and he wanted to write the most beautiful piece of music in history. Many will agree that he succeeded in writing an amazingly sublime and attractive work for the ages. It is performed frequently because of its great popularity.

Free and open to the public.

Program: https://unl.box.com/s/469y4r4vx6l5ey0v0pbhhbuq3wkdvcmt