Music by Haydn and Handel, along with high school seniors vying for music scholarships, will be featured at Bluffton University’s Masterworks Concert on Sunday, Feb. 22, in Yoder Recital Hall. Admission to the 2:30 p.m. concert is free; a free-will offering will be taken to help defray concert expenses.
Dr. Mark J. Suderman, a professor of music, will conduct the University Chorale, the Bluffton Choral Society and an orchestra of professional musicians, faculty and students in their performance of Haydn’s “Missa Brevis in B flat” and Handel’s “Zadok the Priest.”
“Missa Brevis in B flat” is nicknamed the “little organ mass” due to its duet between the organ and soprano soloists during one movement. Dr. Lucia Unrau, a professor and chair of music at Bluffton, will be the organist, while Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle, an assistant professor of music, is the soprano soloist.
“Zadok the Priest” was the first coronation anthem composed by Handel. Written for the coronation of King George II in 1727, it has been sung for every British coronation since then.
Also on the program will be performances by high school finalists competing for music scholarships in Bluffton’s Performing Scholar Competition. The scholarships range in value from $3,000-$20,000 and will be renewable annually.
Five to eight high school seniors from the region are expected on campus to participate. Sunday’s performers will be chosen by Bluffton music faculty on the basis of auditions, which include personal interviews with faculty members.
