CSB Women’s Choir and SJU Men’s Chorus set to perform concert together

The College of Saint Benedict Women’s Choir and Saint John’s University Men’s Chorus are presenting a concert of sacred and secular music at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, in the Great Hall on the SJU campus, Collegeville.

The two groups are scheduled to perform several compositions together—resulting in a fabulous mixed choir of over 70 voices. The choir and chorus will sing selections from Ralph V. Williams, Cesar Franck and Egil Hovland.

In addition to singing together, the two groups will also perform pieces as individual groups.

The Women’s Choir has been busy preparing original music from Daniel Gawthrop, David Childs, Christopher Aspaas and Gwyneth Walker, among others. The Men’s Chorus is scheduled to perform selections from Edward Grieg, Brazael Dennard, Darius Milhaud and more.

The Women’s Choir is an auditioned ensemble led by Susan Cogdill, assistant professor of music education. Cogdill most recently presented at the 2014 International Society for Music Education Commission on Music in Special Education, Music Therapy and Music Medicine and ISME World Conference on Music Education in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Her research topic was on motivational theories related to musical development and beliefs regarding singing ability.  

The Women’s Choir will partner with four collegiate women’s ensembles throughout Minnesota to perform a concert to bring awareness to issues related to domestic abuse and to raise money for a local women’s shelter.

The Men’s Chorus is also an auditioned choir for undergraduate students led by Axel Theimer. Theimer is a professor of music at CSB and SJU who has been part of the CSB and SJU Music Department since 1969. Theimer was elected to the Minnesota Music Educators' Association Hall of Fame in 2004, and received the F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Together, the two ensembles have performed in more than 15 states throughout the country and have gone on several international concert tours to places in Europe and Asia. This May, they are scheduled to go on another international tour to Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Admission to the concert is free and open to the public, but donations are welcome.