McDaniel musicians perform in Spring concerts

McDaniel College students participated in various spring musical performances. The McDaniel College Choir and A Capella Ensemble Concert took place in-person with a limited audience of members of the campus community, while the Student African Drum Ensemble, College Band, Westminster Symphony Orchestra, and Gospel Choir presented virtual concerts.

McDaniel College Band

The performance, broadcast on Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m., can be viewed through YouTube Premieres from the McDaniel College YouTube channel.

Directed by Linda Kirkpatrick, senior lecturer in Music, the McDaniel College Band performs musical selections chosen by members of the band. The McDaniel College Band features 33 musicians, including McDaniel students, as well as McDaniel faculty members, band alumni, and community musicians, performing everything from classical to pops. Selections include “Elements: (Petite Symphony)” by Brian Balmages, which has four movements, and “The Black Horse Troop March” by John Philip Sousa.

McDaniel students included seniors Ethan Brown from Taneytown, Md., and Mikaela Walton from Greensboro, Md.; juniors Kathleen Jacob from Ellicott City, Md., and Cade Leek from Westminster, Md.; sophomore Emily Robinson from Eden, Md.; and freshman Sarah Price from Glen Burnie, Md. 

Westminster Symphony Orchestra 

The performance, broadcast on Saturday, May 29 at 3 p.m., can be viewed through YouTube Premieres from the McDaniel College YouTube channel.

The Westminster Symphony Orchestra is comprised of McDaniel College and Carroll Community College students, as well as community musicians. The orchestra is under the direction of Linda Kirkpatrick, senior lecturer in Music, with Cindy Rosenberg, lecturer in Music at Carroll Community College, serving as assistant director. The Woodwind Quintet selection includes “Roaring Fork: Quintet for Wind Instruments” by Eric Ewazen, which entails movement 1 “Whitewater Rapids (Maroon Creek).” The Brass Quintet selections include “Antiphonal: Hodie, Chrisstus Natus Est” by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, “Two Pieces: Honie-Suckle and Night Watch” by Anthony Holborne, and “McDaniel College: Alma Mater” by Thompson, lyrics by Caleb O’Connor, and arranged by Nicholas Reider. The performance also includes a selection called “By The River,” written by Joachim Johow, that will be performed by strings and piano. Sandra Naugle, an accomplished pianist, is playing the piano part for "By The River.”

McDaniel students included seniors Nicholas Cummings from Falls Church, Va., and Brandon Schlichtig, from Daniels, Md.; and freshman Haley Arnold from Newburg, Md.

McDaniel College Gospel Choir 

The performance, broadcast on Sunday, May 30 at 3 p.m., can be viewed through YouTube Premieres from the McDaniel College YouTube channel.

Under the direction of Music lecturer Shelley Ensor and accompanied by Alice Dorsey, McDaniel College’s Gospel Choir performs traditional and contemporary gospel music, as well as spirituals. Selections include “Every Praise” by Hezekiah Walker and “My Desire” by Kirk Franklin. Students will also sing “Reach Out with Love,” an arrangement by Ensor, to encourage people continuing through these difficult times, which will also feature McDaniel sophomore Jani Pierre of Frederick, Md., as a soloist. The choir is also joined by a couple of community members from First Baptist Church of Baltimore.

Students included juniors Tracey Ackah from Gaithersburg, Md., Alex Browning from Newark, Del., Elva Joya from Rockville, Md., Catherine Little from Littlestown, Pa., and Logan Sweeney from Mount Laurel, N.J.; sophomores Princess Addo-Oboubi from Jessup, Md., Tamrah Blanchard from Aberdeen, Md., Peace Odumeru from Severn, Md., Marissa Hoyt from Leonardtown, Md., Olivia Stone from Annapolis, Md., and Laura Wilson from Halethorpe, Md.; and freshman Russell Campbell from Burtonsville, Md.

McDaniel College Choir and A Capella Ensemble Concert

More than 20 student vocalists performed in the McDaniel College Choir and A Capella Ensemble Concert on Sunday, April 25, on campus at McDaniel College. The performance was only open to the campus community.

The McDaniel College Choir presents music from diverse locales and historical eras, while the A Capella Ensemble is a musical group of unaccompanied singers and the premier vocal ensemble at McDaniel College. Both are under the direction of Kyle Engler, director of choral activities, with staff accompanist Peggy Brengle serving as accompanist.

Selections performed during the concert included "When I Sing To Make You Dance” by Michael John Trotta, the Philippines lullaby “Caturog Na, Nonoy” arranged by George Hernandez, “Grandmother Moon” by Eleanor Joanne Daley, “Ave Verum Corpus” by W. A. Mozart, and “Mi Inspiracion” by John Purifoy. The A Capella Ensemble performed “Like a River in My Soul” by Tim Osiek, “Two Brazilian Folk Songs” arranged by Beery & Dekaney, and “Deep Peace” by Brian Tate.

Students included seniors Ethan Brown from Taneytown, Md., Elizabeth Hobbs from Fruitland, Md., and Anna Odell from Abingdon, Md.; juniors Bryant Gutknecht from Manchester, Md., Amanda Halcott from Baltimore, Kathleen Jacob from Ellicott City, Md., Rhema Jones from Washington, D.C., and Emma Walther from York, Pa.; sophomores Zachary Brown from Taneytown, Md., Anjali Finn from Potomac, Md., Corey Foote from Baltimore, Lola Kindall from Huntington, N.Y., Thomas Kormann from Glenwood, Md., and Victoria Wesley from Upperco, Md.; and freshmen Jordan Greene from Baltimore, Lauren Logue from New Windsor, Md., James Murray from Severn, Md., Chima Okafor from Washington, D.C., Sarah Price from Glen Burnie, Md., and Tyra Pritchett from Elkridge, Md.

McDaniel College Student African Drum Ensemble

The performances were live-streamed through Microsoft Teams on Thursday, April 29.

Nearly 40 students performed in the McDaniel College Student African Drum Ensemble,  under the direction of McDaniel Music faculty member Pape Demba "Paco" Samb, a "Senegalese griot," or West African historian, storyteller, singer, poet, dancer, and/or musician. Among the pieces that the group will perform are "Kuku," "Lambaa," "Macaru," and "Mengani."

Students included seniors Nathaniel Alston from Gwynn Oak, Md., Nylah Davis from Pikesville, Md., Paige Ford from Edgewater, Md., Megan Gorsuch from Freeland, Md., Christopher Greene from Essex, Md., Hailey Hawkins from Westminster, Md., Elizabeth Hobbs from Fruitland, Md., Julian Jenkins from Tempe, Ariz., Catina Mable from Baltimore, Haley Phillips from West Grove, Pa., Owen Reese from Forest Hill, Md., Courtney Shumaker from Cooksville, Md., Mikaela Walton from Greensboro, Md., and Mia Wilson from West Deptford, N.J.

Juniors were Kekuta Bah from Silver Spring, Md., Emmanuel Brown from Camp Springs, Md., Madeline Darda from Westminster, Md., Angela Dinunzio from Moorestown, N.J., Lauren Doutrich from Hershey, Pa., Quinn Kimmick from New Egypt, N.J., Gregory Komondor from Forest Hill, Md., Julie McElree from Lorton, Va., Derek McManus from Jarrettsville, Md., Liz Mince from Street, Md., Skyler Minutelli from Sparrows Point, Md., Julia Murphy from Westminster, Md., Julia Ryan from Clifton Park, N.Y., Kai Samuels from Glen Burnie, Md., Nik Schobitz from Clarksburg, Md., Gillian Scott from Littlestown, Pa., and Brendan Woody from Crofton, Md.

Sophomores were Michael Bromley from Mount Airy, Md., Chandra Copes from Salisbury, Md., Christian Dalessio from Weston, Conn., Sidhant Sawant from Bethesda, Md., and Virgil Wilson from Smyrna, Del. Zitlaly Carranza, freshman from Baltimore, also participated.