Choirs from six Penn State campuses to 'Raise the Song'

Choirs from six Penn State campuses will “Raise the Song!” in a free public concert Oct. 28 at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg.

The landmark event for the University and Penn State Harrisburg will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Sunoco Performance Theater. Tickets and information are available by calling 717-948-6470.

Hosted by Penn State Harrisburg and its School of Humanities, the performance will feature Penn State choirs from University locations at Harrisburg, Altoona, Berks, Schuylkill, University Park and Erie. Master of Ceremonies will be Anthony Leach, Penn State’s 2009-10 laureate, associate professor of music and music education in the College of Arts and Architecture, and director of Penn State’s “Essence of Joy” choir.

The performing arts partnership is a first for both the University and Penn State Harrisburg.

“This will be the first event of its kind in the history of the University and our college," said O. David Deitz, director of Penn State Harrisburg’s choir and the driving force behind the multi-campus participation in the concert. "It is all part of an effort to entertain, display the high level of talent at our locations and promote Penn State’s performing arts programs and opportunities.”

Deitz said each participating student organization will perform individually for 10 to 15 minutes with all choirs joining together at the conclusion of the event to sing Mendelssohn’s "Verleih uns Frieden" (Grant us Peace) and the Penn State Alma Mater, from which the “Raise the Song!” concert title is derived.

In a related outreach effort the morning of Oct. 28, student choral groups and their instructors from five area high schools will attend a workshop with Deitz and University Park concert choir director Lynn Drafall.

The 10 a.m. to noon workshop will include groups from Hershey, Central Dauphin East, Lower Dauphin, Cedar Cliff, Middletown, and Palmyra high schools in the Capital Union Building on the Penn State Harrisburg campus. The sessions will be open to the public.