Choral music to be performed April 13

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - An assortment of choral music from "Alice in Wonderland" to New Zealand, Korean and Taiwanese selections will be performed April 13 at Gettysburg College.

The 2:30 p.m. Spring Choral Showcase Concert will take place in Gettysburg College's Christ Chapel located at the corner of North Washington and Stevens streets. The Gettysburg College Choir and Concert Choir, directed by Robert Natter, and Gettysburg College World Music Ensemble and Women's Choir, directed by Sharon Davis Gratto, will perform. The event is open to the public at no charge.

The College Choir will perform an original student composition and students will serve as guest conductors for several selections. The Concert Choir will sing portions of the Small Organ Mass by Joseph Haydn, "Musica, die ganz lieblich Kunst (Music, Most Wondrous Lovely Art)" by 17th century composer Johann Jeep and "The Lobster Quadrille" from "Alice in Wonderland" by American composer Irving Fine. The Women's Choir will sing selections the Spinning Chorus from Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman," Ysaye M. Barnwell's arrangement of the African American Spiritual "Wade in the Watah" and French folk song "Roulez jeunes gen roulez" arranged by Joseph A. Gregorio. The World Music Ensemble will perform selections in Maori (New Zealand), Cherokee, Korean and Taiwanese.

Natter is associate professor of music and director of choral activities at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. He conducts the Gettysburg College Choir, Camerata, Concert Choir and teaches voice and conducting. Natter has toured widely with the College Choir and Camerata in the eastern United States, Canada, Brazil, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico. He also serves as an instructional technologist and researches technology tools to help teach music. He has written a computer program called "ChoralWorks" to assist choir members in learning music. Natter earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and received a doctorate in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Gratto is a professor of music and coordinator of music education at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College. She teaches music education methods courses, aural skills and Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Gratto conducts the Gettysburg College Women's Choir, World Music Ensemble and Children's Choir, an auditioned community group. Gratto received degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory, American University, State University of New York at Potsdam and Catholic University, where she received a doctor of musical arts degree in music education and flute and voice performance. She was a faculty member at the University of Maryland and Catholic University and taught K-12 school music in the Washington, D.C., area and Germany, Spain and Nigeria.

The Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College combines Gettysburg's superb music tradition and its strengths as one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges. Established in 2005 through a $15.7 million gift from 1919 graduate Dr. F. William Sunderman Sr., the conservatory offers three degrees -- bachelor of music in performance, bachelor of arts in music, and bachelor of science in music education -- as well as a minor in music.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with approximately 2,600 students. It is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

Issued: 4/1/08 

By: Justin Brower, class of 2010