Singing rehearsals begin for Oratorio Society

Staff Report

Eastern’s Oratorio Society will be holding rehearsals for singers to participate in the annual spring concert, according to a press release. The rehearsals will begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Choral/Jazz Rehearsal Room, Room 1360, in the Doudna Fine Arts Center. Those interested in rehearsing are encouraged to bring a friend.

Singers from the Oratorio Society will perform at the final concert Sunday, April 23 as part of Eastern’s Celebration of the Arts Festival. This year’s concert is called “A Musical Journey Through Time” and will also feature the Eastern Symphony Orchestra and EIU Choral Ensembles.

The Oratorio Singers will perform a variety of works from Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, including works by Wolfgang Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Giuseppe Verdi, Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn.

“We will be performing some of the most beautiful choral works from a variety of large oratorios,” Richard Robert Rossi, director of EIU’s choral ensembles, said in the press release.

“I think those who have participated before really enjoyed being part of this large choral group that’s a mix of students, faculty, staff and singers from the surrounding communities of east-central Illinois,” said Rossi. “The icing on the cake will be the final concert on April 23. It’s going to be great fun.”

The News staff can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].