2005-2006 Season

Christmas with the Choral Society

The Choral Society presented colorful and heartwarming music of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Portions of Bach's Cantata Wachet auf and Rutter's Magnificat were featured along with time-honored motets, such as Victoria's O Magnum Mysterium. Traditional favorite carols of the season, including the sparkling arrangements of Mack Wilberg, were presented with chamber orchestra.

Here are some short excerpts from this Christmas concert (click to play):

[top]

Choral Classics

 A celebration of choral literature that spans five centuries and features some of history's most beloved composers, including Brahms and Mozart. Newer works by well-known artists were also featured. Folk songs and spirituals rounded out this program of music selected by Artistic Director Dr. James Rodde [top]

Mother Iowa: Heritage Iowa Series

This concert showcased fascinating women and their influence on the Iowa character. From the mother of an Iowa businessman who persuaded the Nazi SS to release her husband from Dachau, to the mother who tended her son's experimental garden at the dawn of research into hi-bred corn, the narration will tell poignant and humorous stories that are Iowa's legacy. Celebrated playwright Cynthia Mercati returns as the scriptwriter. The Choral Society performed music requested by some of the subjects profiled in the narration, or by favorite composers, in tribute to the many ways mothers have shaped our lives.