Chamber Singers’ Saturday concert features Handel

The Chamber Singers of Iowa City will present Handel’s oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus, Saturday, April 25 at 7:15 p.m. in West High auditorium, 2901 Melrose Avenue in Iowa City.

Preceding the concert at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Jordan Smith of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa will speak on the topic “Judas Maccabaeus: God’s Divine Hammer.”

Judas Maccabaeus is produced in conjunction with the American Handel Society National Conference. It serves as the finale of their meeting at the University of Iowa. Many of the scholars who write about Handel will be in the audience.

For this performance, David Puderbaugh, music director, has chosen a new edition of the oratorio based on the latest scholarship on Handel and his music.

The soloists for this performance have all sung with Chamber Singers previously.

Barbara Clements, soprano, holds a D. M. degree from Florida State University. She is Assistant Professor of Music at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas. Barbara has previously appeared with Chamber Singers in Joseph Haydn’s The Seasons, Mozart’s Grabmusik, and Beethoven’s Mass in C minor.

Lisa White, mezzo-soprano, is the Director of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving at Cornell College. She received her M.M.A at the University of Iowa, completed doctoral work at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and has taught voice at Cornell College, the University of Northern Iowa and elsewhere. Lisa has been a member of the Chamber Singers of Iowa City since 2012, and has sung as a soloist with the Singers most recently in last February’s “Vignettes.”

James Judd, tenor, regularly sings with the Chicago Symphony under the direction of Maestro Riccardo Muti. He holds an M.M.A. degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Iowa, as well as Bachelor of Music degrees in both Education and Vocal Performance from SUNY Fredonia. James is an active interpreter of both operatic and concert repertoire. He has performed a variety of works with Chamber Singers, among them: Haydn’s The Seasons, Handel’s Messiah, and Brahms’ Neue Liebesliederwalzer.

Jon F. Clements, baritone, also a faculty member at Arkansas Tech University, has previously appeared with the Chamber Singers in performances of Bach’s Mass in G minor, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Michael Haydn’s Requiem in C minor, Mozart’s Grabmusik, and Joseph Haydn’s The Seasons.

Maestro Puderbaugh describes Judas Maccabaeus as “one of the most famous Handel oratorios, after Messiah and on a comparable level of notoriety as Israel in Egypt.  Within the oratorio are very famous movements:  the bass aria “Arm, arm, ye brave,” the tenor aria “Sound the alarm,” and such famous choral pieces as “See, the conquering hero comes,” “Sing unto God,” and “Hallelujah, Amen.”  It’s a thrilling sing!”

 

The Chamber Singers Orchestra will perform superbly as always. Lynda Hakken, the Singers’ long-time accompanist, will play harpsichord for this performance.

For ticket information and more, visit www.icchambersingers.org. Buying tickets at the website is a great way to avoid long lines at the box office.

James Petersen sings with the Chamber Singers of Iowa City.