'Rhapsody in View' performance includes grand reunion of Choir in honor of bicentennial

The Centenary College Choir presents its annual Rhapsody in View performance on Saturday, October 25, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, October 26, at 3:00 p.m., at First Baptist Church in Shreveport. As Centenary College continues its year-long bicentennial celebration, the Choir is marking the occasion with a grand reunion of the Choir for Rhapsody. The program will also feature the premiere of the bicentennial anthem, Labor Omnia Vincit, with music composed by Centenary alumnus and current faculty member Dr. James Eakin.
“One of the enduring legacies of Centenary College is its globe-trotting Choir, having now sung in over 35 countries across the world,” said Dr. David Hobson, director of the Centenary College Choir. “This diverse travel agenda is mirrored by an eclectic repertoire, ranging from Bach to Broadway, folk to classical, spirituals to hymns and so much more.”
Rhapsody, produced annually since 1949, is one of the most enduring arts experiences in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. It serves as the annual community debut of the Choir’s eclectic choral repertoire featuring music from the group’s 80-year history as well as new works. The performance is co-sponsored by the Downtown Shreveport Lions’ Club and proceeds from the event support the organization’s charitable work in the community as well as the Centenary College Choir.
The program opens with the current Centenary Choir, presenting a rhythmic setting of the Swahili O Sifuni Mungu. Nods to the College’s Methodist heritage follow with famous Charles Wesley hymn settings of O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing and And Can it Be that I Should Gain. Student soloist Nina Guerrero is featured on the spiritual Ain’t Got Time to Die. The Choir also offers the powerful prayer, Let There Be Peace On Earth, and the always entertaining Shaker Dance.
Choir alumni will join for the second portion of the program and present some of the group’s historic favorites, such as the great English anthems I Was Glad by Parry and Let All the World in Every Corner Sing by Ralph Vaughan Williams. These selections as well as others include brass, percussion, and the wonderful organ at First Baptist Church of Shreveport. Themes of homecoming are balanced by the pastoral Homeward Bound arrangement by Mack Wilberg and the eternal How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place by Brahms. The combined chorus also shows off its lighter side with a musical theater favorite, Rhythm of Life.
Eakin’s Labor Omnia Vincit will be the climax of the program. The text offered by Eakin’s oft collaborator, Charles Anthony Silvestri, is based on the College’s motto, which translates as “work conquers all.” Hobson noted, “Full of wonderful allusions to the ideals, geography, and history of the College, the work is an exciting piece, joyful in spirit, and inspiring reflections for both past and future success.” The creation of Labor Omnia Vincit was graciously underwritten by two Centenary alumni couples, James and Jean Goins and George and Mariah Fine.
Tickets are $15 in advance for adults or $17 at the door, and $10 for students. Non-school age children are free. Tickets are available through members of the Choir and the Downtown Shreveport Lions Club, or by calling the Hurley School of Music (318.869.5235) or the First Methodist Church Music Office (318.429.6887). Information about the performance and tickets is also available by emailing music@centenary.edu.