The East Central University Chorale and the ECU Singers will perform two new works by Ada composers Victoria Davison and Rudy Lupinski in concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 [MONDAY] at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.              Dr. Steve Walker, ECU professor of music, conducts both groups. Accompanists will be Dr. Starla Hibler and Rudy Lupinski, piano, and Juliana Overmier, flute. The concert is open to the public and admission is free.              Davison and Lupinski composed “The Lord’s Prayer” for the ECU Singers and “O Nata Lux” (O Born as Light) for the University Chorale. The text of “O Nata Lux” is a mediaeval hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration.              The ECU Singers will open with “Super Flumina Babilonis” by Giovanni P. da Palestrina. The Psalm text paints the extraordinarily somber image of the Israelites in captivity as they sit by the side of the rivers in Babylon and hang up their harps, unable to sing in this strange country.              “Drei Gesänge” (Three Songs) by Johannes Brahms are montages of different scenes. The first piece, “Abendständchen,” describes the beautiful music from a flute that drifts through the evening air. “Vineta” describes a beautiful ancient city that is sunk deep in the ocean, and “Darthulas Grabesgesang” is a mournful and impassioned remembrance of an Irish maiden who has died.              The ECU Singers will conclude with Eric Whitacre’s “Sleep,” a commissioned work with lyrics originally from a famous poem by Robert Frost. After learning the poem is still under copyright, Whitacre asked a friend, Charles Antony Silvestri, to write new lyrics to his finished music. The resulting words contain a completely different but equally beautiful message.              The University Chorale will perform “Gloria,” the second movement of “The Messe de Notre Dame (Mass of Our Lady), a polyphonic mass composed before 1365 by the French poet Guillaume de Machaut. One of the masterpieces of medieval music and of all religious music, it is the earliest complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass attributed to a single composer.              “Ave verum corpus,” often considered William Byrd’s finest composition, was written in 1605 under a time of duress for Catholics in England. Byrd played a dangerous game by composing music for Catholic services (held secretly in private residences) after King Henry VIII converted England from the Roman Catholic Church to the Church of England. Penalties for practicing Catholicism included fines, scrutiny, torture or death. He managed this rebellion without loss of life or livelihood, due in part both to his exemplary musical skill and by frequently dedicating publications to the queen.              The Chorale will end with three much newer works. Knut Nystedt, perhaps Norway’s most famous choral composer, wrote “O Crux" in 1978 using an ancient text by Venanturs Fortunatus.              “The Spheres,” the first movement of the “Sunrise Mass,” was written for chorus and strings in 2011, “to be performed with the sense of floating in space,” by Ola Gjeilo of Norway, a full-time composer based in New York City.              “Te lucis ante terminum” was written in 2003 by Levente Gyöngyösi as an anthem to commemorate Pope Gregory the Great, patron saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers. The Romanian composer is a professor of music theory at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.              Many of the performers sing in both the University Chorale and the ECU Singers. Performers include:             
  • ADA – Emily Anderson, Sarah Barnes, Caleb Bonar, Danna Borntrager, Hunter Braly, Angie Brunk, Catie Caton, Victoria Davison, Kelsey Dial, Caitlin Gray, Lauren Meyer, Kelsie Pletcher, Shelby Pletcher, Carissa Rodgers, Abby Seal, Samantha Spears, Karah Thompson, James Williamson.
  • ARDMORE – Stephen McCleskey.
  • ATOKA – Billy Snead.
  • BRISTOW – Krysta Cassell.
  • CALVIN – Jessy Beasley.
  • CLEVELAND – Jackie Switzer.
  • COALGATE – Sarah Sanders.
  • COMANCHE – Morgan Harper, Clint Prucha.
  • DAVIS – Keeli Fisher.
  • DUNCAN – Bryan Young.
  • EUFAULA – Tristan Nixon.
  • HENRYETTA – Myranda Spencer.
  • LITTLE AXE – Nick Geisler, Dustin Hawkins, Kelsie Self.
  • LUTHER – Elizabeth Blanchard.
  • MADILL – Kayla Williams.
  • McALESTER – Kristina Heath, Naomi Long, Chris Mayhew, Jacob Stevens, Matthew Tidmore, Samantha Tyler.
  • MIDWEST CITY – Kelsey Molina.
  • MUSTANG – Kalyn Marker.
  • NOBLE – Jordan Clark, Ryan Codopony, Tabitha Heaton, Jacie Hutcherson.
  • NORMAN – Ryan Gadberry.
  • OKEMAH – Andrew Brady.
  • OKLAHOMA CITY – Aaron Sadler, Nathan Steinman.
  • POTEAU – Evan Clay, Micah Hobday, Claire Marquardt.
  • PRYOR – Laci Barringer.
  • PURCELL – Lauren Cox.
  • ROFF – Sarah Burrows, Sami Jo Scifres.
  • SAPULPA – JamieLee Beuchat, Jordan Myers.
  • SASAKWA – Ashley Tucker.
  • SEMINOLE – Ginelle Gordon, Kaleb Gordon, John Stone.
  • SHAWNEE – Megan Galbreaith, Debrah Morrison, Jericho Morton, Sheena Stallings.
  • SPIRO – Christina Kushnick.
  • STRATFORD – Chloe Henry, Laura Knight, Chalie Smith, Meleah Underwood.
  • SULPHUR – Ryanne Overman.
  • TECUMSEH – Josh Coats, Justin Cody, Tim Long, Tommy Long, Stephen Timperley.
  • TIPTON – Kelvin Wood.
  • TISHOMINGO – Zach Champagne, Starlet Etheridge, Clayton Sullivan.
  • TULSA – Shay Standingwater.
  • TUTTLE – Kevin Gottman.
  • VALIANT – Amber Simpson, Ashlie Simpson.
  • VINITA – Kristen Stecklein.
  • WAYNE – Kathleen Madden.
  • WELLSTON – Meg Stewart.
  • WEWOKA – Jesslyn Richards.
  • BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – Casey Long.
  • HAVELOCK, N.C. – Joe Trail.
  • DALLAS, TEXAS – Derek Coffman.
  • THE COLONY, TEXAS – William Rauch.
  • WHITERIGHT, TEXAS – Sara Houchin.