The Newman Chorale and Troubadours will host their annual fall concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in St. John’s Chapel. Admission is $5. Newman students get in free with their student ID.
This year’s concert is titled Fall Festival of Song. Deanne Zogleman, director of Newman’s music department, said attendees can expect a mix of sacred and secular songs, from fun folk tunes to religious acapella numbers. She’s especially excited that the fall concert marks a certain return to normalcy.
“Pre-pandemic, we always performed our fall concert in the chapel, and it is so wonderful to be back singing in God’s house,” Zogleman said.
Carole Pracht, a longtime pianist for the Newman Chorale and Troubadours and organist for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, will be the accompanist.
“Carole and I have worked together for 17 years now, so we make a wonderful team,” Zogleman said. “It is so lovely to have one of my best buddies in the world as my incredibly talented accompanist.”
A No. 1 fan
One person who plans to attend the Fall Festival of Song is Newman’s director of security, Mo Floyd. He’s a big fan of the Newman Chorale and Troubadours and always makes an effort to attend their concerts.
“The members of Chorale and the Troubadours hold a special place in my heart,” he said.
In the past, Floyd has gone to their rehearsals to help him cope with bad news. The first time was when his youngest son was diagnosed with cancer. The second was when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
“Being in the rehearsal hall and listening to them sing allowed me to shut my eyes and be somewhere else just for a minute,” Floyd said. “This helped to calm me, gave me an opportunity to organize my thoughts and carry on with my day.”
When attending the 2020 Christmas concert wasn’t an option for Floyd, the Chorale and Troubadours brought the concert to him.
“They sang outside of my office,” Floyd said. “And yes, I teared up on that one. They’ve blessed me in so many ways.”
Zogleman encourages other folks to attend the Fall Festival of Song and appreciate the work of the talented students.
“It’s a chance to take a break for an hour and come sit and enjoy the beauty of music in such a beautiful performance space,” she said. “We need to support these students who work so hard learning the music and bringing the emotion out of every song. They are a fantastic bunch to work with this year and should have a full audience.”
Participate in the Newman Chorale & Troubadours
The music program teaches you the different styles of music and provides the opportunity to join or audition for large ensembles. Students will study and perform major classical works with an orchestra, traditional Christmas music, and will even launch a full-scale theatrical production in the spring.
