Department of Music

The Virginia Women’s Chorus presents Songs of Glad Tidings, an upbeat concert with music ranging from classical to jazz to pop. The concert will feature compositions by faculty members Judith Shatin and John D’earth on Saturday, April 7 at 4:00 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Rugby Road.

The energetic composition A Song of Glad Tidings was sung by the University of Virginia Women’s Chorus during its second appearance at an American Choral Directors Association convention. The Chorus is proud to have been selected to participate at these conventions, a prestigious honor bestowed on the best of choruses. 

The concert promises to delight the audience with the Chorus’ tradition of offering a wide variety of musical styles and genres. The renowned jazz trumpeter John D’earth will add his special tones, and a string quartet will be featured as well. Several a cappella songs will be featured, including Billy Joel’s And So It Goes. One of the a cappella selections, Hymn of Acxiom, is written as a love song from the perspective of a database (!) and the phrases “now we possess you”, “we’ll design you a perfect love”, and “a brand-new need is born” are intentionally disturbing. 

The Virginia Women's Chorus, conducted by Katherine “KaeRenae” Mitchell, is committed to excellence in the performance of classical, contemporary and diverse music from the challenging choral literature for women's voices.  The Chorus seeks to inspire in the choral art form through the celebration of women’s repertoire. Composed of devoted and talented young women, this ensemble is student-run and continues to uphold its tradition of exceptional music. 

Mitchell elaborates on the diverse music of the VWC: “The Chorus has an amazing span of versatility in its repertoire over the years, and I intentionally program different genres of music to ‘stretch’ the singing styles of the young women. I believe performing a wide variety of styles of music enriches and contributes to the process of becoming a fuller person.”

Accolades come from many concertgoers and include comments such as this: “The concert was stunningly beautiful, sensitively programmed and a musical treat of the highest order.  It really was quite amazing.”    

A suggested donation of $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and $5 for students will help defray the costs of this concert. For more information, visit our website at www.virginiawomenschorus.org.  Free parking is available behind the church. The Virginia Women’s Chorus is affiliated with the McIntire Department of Music.

Come and enjoy this diverse concert that is guaranteed to inspire you long after the music ends!