Lititz Moravian Collegium Musicum Concert
September 22, 2024
4:30pm (band prelude at 3:45)
Fellowship Hall of the Lititz Moravian Church, 8 Church Square, Lititz, PA
An exciting choral-orchestral concert concludes the first-ever Lititz Moravian Music Weekend on Sunday, September 22 at 4:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the Lititz Moravian Church (8 Church Square). The Lititz Collegium Musicum, an ensemble originally founded in the 18th century and revived in 2018 as Lancaster County’s “newest, yet oldest chamber orchestra,” will be joined by a Festival Chorus to present Moravian music, old and new. Tickets are available at the door (cash only) at $15 for adults and $5 for students. A free Festival Band Prelude precedes the concert, weather permitting, on Church Square at 3:45 p.m.
The inaugural Lititz Moravian Music Weekend is a two-day event that has been organized and sponsored by the Moravian Music Foundation (MMF) in collaboration with the Lititz Moravian Congregation and Collegium Musicum to celebrate the church’s 275th Anniversary. On Saturday, September 21, educational workshops, stimulating rehearsals, engaging talks, and enjoyable local tours will be offered. The concert rounds out the enriching and fulfilling weekend.
The Festival Chorus includes participants from various states as well as members of the Lititz Moravian Senior Choir and the Millersville University’s Tell School of Music Chorale. Historic choral anthems composed by Johannes Herbst, former pastor/composer who served the Lititz congregation from 1791-1811, will be performed, along with contemporary choral works by Zach Bailey and Brian Henkelmann. The Collegium Musicum will present a variety of secular instrumental pieces by lesser-known composers including Karl Eder, Johan Grenser, Johan Brandl, and Joseph Morris. The 1787 David Tannenberg pipe organ will be featured as a solo instrument and to accompany the singing of hymns. The concert is under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey S. Gemmell, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Collegium Musicum, Coordinator of Choral Studies at Millersville University, and Director of Music Ministries at the Lititz Moravian Congregation.
For more information, call the Lititz Moravian Church Office (717-626-8515) or explore the websites for the Lititz Moravian Congregation (lititzmoravian.org) or the Moravian Music Foundation (www.moravianmusic.org).
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