Isn’t it wonderful: six music events scheduled from May 3 to 7 at Monmouth College

In 1969, a young Stevie Wonder performed at Monmouth College. On May 7, Wonder’s music returns to campus — although not the artist himself — as part of the Jazz Ensemble’s semester-ending concert, titled “A Jazz Spring.”

It concludes a series of three concerts from May 3 to 7 at the College. The others are the Wind Ensemble concert on May 3 and a spring choir concert on May 5. All three concerts, which are free and open to the public, will be held in the Kasch Performance Hall of the Dahl Chapel and Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

On May 4, three students will perform recitals in Dahl Chapel as part of a Monmouth College Musical Showcase. Vea Vavrosky ’25 of Reynolds, Illinois, will sing at 1 p.m., Emma Romano ’25 of Wilmington, Illinois, will perform at 4 p.m., and AJ Furness ’24 of Grinnell, Iowa, will sing at 7:30 p.m.

Wind ensemble on May 3

The first half of the concert will focus on music influenced by and in response to the Second World War.

“It’s a heavy subject but important music,” says professor Justin Swearinger, who conducts the Wind Ensemble and was influenced by composer David Maslanka in his training. The group will perform a work by Maslanka during the concert.

“A quote from David Maslanka explains some of the reasoning for the program,” Swearinger said. “He said, ‘We consider history to be over; Nothing can be done about it, so just let it go. Yet certain events – Hiroshima, the Holocaust, exterminations around the world – are not over, and will not be pushed aside.’”

The first piece is Daniel Bukvich’s Symphony No. 1, “In Memoriam: Dresden,” followed by Maslanka’s “Remember Me,” which will feature cello professor Steve Jackson and choir director Tim Pahel at the piano, as well as guest harpist Claire Happel. Ash.

The first half of the concert concludes with “Fire in the Distance,” which was just completed this spring by Kevin Krumenauer, a student of Maslanka. Swearinger said the second half of the program is “much more positive and uplifting, beginning with an arrangement of ‘Be Thou My Vision,’ arranged by our very own Ty Otto.”

Carol Brittin Chambers’ “Kalos Eidos,” a play on the Greek word for “kaleidoscope,” will also be heard as a nod to the Wind Ensemble’s time in Greece this semester.

The seniors in the group will be honored with a small presentation, followed by a performance of “Irish Tune from County Derry” by Percy Aldridge Grainger. The concert ends with the “joyful and brilliant” piece “Firebird Finale” by Igor Stravinsky.

Choir concert on May 5

With the choir, the concert choir and the chamber choir, the choir concert will have a strong multicultural element, with different pieces from around the world. There will be an Indian song, a series of Slovak folk songs arranged by Bela Bartok, and “a fast and lively arrangement” of a French-Canadian folk song. The audience also gets a taste of the Philippines, and “Lullaby,” sung by the chorale, is a setting of a poem by an Iraqi war veteran, describing a father who wants to protect his son from harm during the war.

“We are excited that the Monmouth-Roseville High School Mixed Madrigal Choir will also be singing,” said Pahel, who conducts the Chorale and Chamber Choir. “They will sing two songs themselves and will also perform ‘Lamentations of Jeremiah’ by Randall Stroope together with Concert Choir.”

Kevin Ferry leads the MRHS group and Tom Clark leads the concert choir. Solee Lee-Clark coaches the Monmouth groups and Al Silber coaches the MRHS group.

At the end of the concert, all choirs come together for a performance of Christopher Tin’s “Baba Yetu,” the text of which is a Swahili translation of the Lord’s Prayer. The song was the theme song for the video game Civilization IV. The concert begins with the Mixed Madrigal Choir singing another of Tin’s pieces, “Sogno di Volare,” the theme song for the video game Civilization VI.

‘A Jazz Spring’ on May 7

“Steve Wonder’s music works very well for a jazz band,” says Jackson, the director of the Jazz Ensemble. “When you go back to his recordings, you realize there are a lot of jazz elements in there. … I think anyone who gets a chance to listen will be somewhat impressed by how varied the styles are that can actually fit into the category of jazz band performances.

Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” will feature Furness on vocals. The talented musician also plays several instruments in the group, including guitar, vibraphone and auxiliary percussion.

Furness will also provide vocals on George and Ira Gershwin’s “The Man I Love,” and the vocals will take center stage in the middle of the concert, when the Highland Harmonizers, a 14-member student group, present a pair of selections: ‘Time’ and ‘Happy together’.

If that wasn’t already something for everyone, Jackson said his tenor saxophonist, Talon Hunter ’25 of Abingdon, Illinois, referred him to a few Pokemon songs that will be featured during the concert, including “Route 228,” which Jackson called “a funk shuffle with the sousaphone,” which will be played by Lorenzo Ramirez ’26 of Waukegan, Illinois.

“It works very well. It’s a great sound,” said Jackson, who will also play lead guitar during the concert.

Furness is one of four seniors performing at their final Jazz Ensemble concert as students. The others are Eli Kelly of Aledo, Zach Lundquist of Aurora, Illinois, and Otto, who is from Havana, Illinois.

***Courtesy of Barry McNamara, Monmouth College***