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“Renewal,” the spring performance of the Troy University’s Concert Choral, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10 at Park Memorial United Methodist Church.

The concert is free and the public is cordially invited.  Masks are encouraged and will be available at the door.

“Renewal” will feature music by Brahms, Barber, Rheinberger, Vaughn Williams, Barnum, Forrest, Chilcott and others.

In explaining the concert theme, Dr. Diane Orlofsky, concert choral conductor, said she actually began thinking about this program early last fall and was inspired by one of the lines from Dan Forrest’s “The Music of Living.”

“The lyric is:, ‘I want to feel the music of living; and not fear the sad songs but, from them, make new songs composed of both laughter and tears,” Orlofsky said. “This past year has been one of great loss for me personally and, yet I retain the belief that the hopefulness of spring renewal and new life can propel us through the darkness. I programmed pieces which accentuate hope over despair and life over death with the power that only choral music can full communicate. The fact that it is also my last concert on the podium with these incredible young singers makes it especially bittersweet.”

This year marks Orlofsky’s 36th year of teaching at Troy University. Although she will return in a part-time teaching capacity next fall, this spring marks the end of her tenure as conductor of the Concert Chorale.

“I am certainly proud of all we have accomplished together but I am most gratified seeing the daily embodiment and fulfillment of their motto: One Voice, One Heart.  I wanted the final concert to reflect these values,” Orlofsky said.  “I treasure collaborations with my colleagues. These shared experiences enrich all of us and illustrate the profound universality of artistic expression. I am pleased that Dr. Tim Phillips, clarinet, will be featured as soloist on ‘Warm Summer Sun’ conducted by undergraduate Madelyn Huston. Working with collaborative pianist, Dr. John Jinright is always pure joy.”

In addition, three young teaching professionals, Carlton Copeland, Ben Huston, and Jordan Sullivan, will conduct 

“These individuals represent so many of the music education graduates who have served in the Chorale and have gone on to touch the lives of others,” Orlofsky said. “This concert also happens to fall on Palm Sunday, so it is fitting that we celebrate musical themes of renewal and illumination. I invite the public to come along on this rich, life-affirming musical journey with the Concert Chorale.”