(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Westminster Chapel Choir, guest-conducted by Tom Shelton, presents a concert titled “Tapestry” on Sunday, April 14 at 7:30pm in Bristol Chapel on the campus of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, N.J. The ensemble will be joined by guest artist, Ken Cowan, organ.
Westminster Chapel Choir is composed of students in their first year of study at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Its program features music by composers from around the world, including Canada, Latvia, England, Venezuela, South Africa and the United States. A highlight is All the World, composed for the Westminster Chapel Choir by Emma Daniels, the ensemble’s graduate assistant conductor.
All the World is a setting of a quote by Helen Keller: All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming. Daniels says, “Helen Keller’s words speak quite eloquently to the sense of simultaneous darkness and light in the world and our everyday lives. There is triumph, praise and immense joy, but there is also pain and suffering. Helen Keller could not see or hear, giving her words a deeper meaning because they came from someone who had an almost complete lack of visual and aural understanding. We all suffer, and we all overcome, and these experiences unite us and inspire us — just as music does.”
Tom T. Shelton, Jr. is associate professor of Sacred Music at Westminster Choir College. Focusing on children’s and youth music at Westminster, Professor Shelton teaches classes in conducting, sacred music, music education, and serves as conductor and coordinator of the Westminster Neighborhood Children’s Choir, a partnership with the Princeton Family YMCA. In addition, he is the director of Children's and Youth Choirs at Princeton United Methodist Church and conducts two ensembles with the Princeton Girlchoir Organization.
Professor Shelton has conducted festivals and honor choirs in 21 states as well as Hong Kong. He has conducted Choral Festivals in Carnegie Hall, Honor Choirs for the Central Division ACDA and Southern Division ACDA, as well as All State Choirs in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina. Professor Shelton is the Series Director for the Music for Young Voices Series with GIA Publications and has over 50 compositions published by Choristers Guild, Colla Voce Music, G. Schirmer, Galaxy, GIA Publications, Growing in Grace Curriculum, Heritage Music Press, Hinshaw Music Company, Musicspoke.com, Santa Barbara Music Press and Walton Music.
Regarded as one of North America’s finest concert organists and praised by audiences and critics alike for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique and imaginative programming, Ken Cowan maintains a rigorous performing schedule that takes him to major concert venues in America, Canada, Europe and Asia. Recent feature performances have included appearances at Verizon Hall in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa California, Spivey Hall, Maison Symphonique in Montreal and Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as concerts in Germany and Korea. In addition, Mr. Cowan has been a featured artist in recent years at national conventions of the American Guild of Organists in Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Houston. He has performed at many regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists, and he has been featured at several conventions of the Organ Historical Society and the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors and are available by phone at 609-921-2663 or online at www.rider.edu/arts. Westminster Choir College of Rider University is located at 101 Walnut Lane in Princeton.
