The Chapel Choir and Wind Ensemble of Hope College will each conduct multi-day tours during the college’s spring break later this month.

Each ensemble is also presenting pre-tour performances, and the Chapel Choir will also be present a post-tour concert on campus.

The Chapel Choir performed at Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids on Sunday, March 6, and will be performing at Third Christian Reformed Church in Kalamazoo on Sunday, March 13, at 6 p.m.  The Wind Ensemble will be performing in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts at Hope on Wednesday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to the performances.  Admission is free.

The Chapel Choir will be touring New York and New Jersey between Thursday, March 17, and Tuesday, March 22.  The group will perform at Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester, New York, on Thursday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m.; at the Reformed Church of Fishkill in Fishkill, New York, on Friday, March 18, at 7 p.m.; at the Reformed Dutch Church of Claverack in Claverack, New York, on Sunday, March 20, at 7 p.m.; at Colts Neck Reformed Church in Colts Neck, New Jersey, on Monday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m.; at St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City on Tuesday, March 22, following the 12:30 p.m. Prayers for Peace; and at Hillsborough Reformed Church in Hillsborough, New Jersey, on Tuesday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m.

In addition, the Chapel Choir will present its annual post-tour Home Concert in Holland on Thursday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.

The Wind Ensemble will perform in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin between Friday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 23.  The group will present concerts at The Chapel in Libertyville, Illinois, on Friday, March 18; at First Reformed Church in South Holland, Illinois, on Sunday, March 20, at 2 p.m.; at Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois, on Monday, March 21, at 7 p.m.  The Wind Ensemble will also present daytime concerts for students at Fennville High School in Fennville on Friday, March 18; at Woodstock Community Unit School in Woodstock, Illinois, on Monday, March 21; at Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, March 22; and Cedar Grove High School in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, March 23; and will present a chamber recital at Lasata Senior Living Campus in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, March 22.

The Chapel Choir, conducted by Dr. Brad Richmond, is Hope’s premier choral ensemble.  Comprised of auditioned choristers and open to all students regardless of major, the choir has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Over the years the choir has received numerous invitations to sing at choral conferences and prestigious churches around the country. Recently, the choir toured South Africa, singing at large urban churches, universities, small parishes in townships, inner city missions and AIDS clinics. The choir is also featured in Hope College’s long-standing Christmas Vespers, the award-winning television broadcast of which is seen around the country at Christmastime on PBS.

The Hope College Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Gabe Southard, is the premier wind group at Hope.  It is an auditioned group open to all students regardless of their major and typically performs six-10 times a year.  The group performs repertoire from a variety of eras and tours every other year.  The Wind Ensemble recently completed recording for a CD project, which included Wagner’s “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral,” Ticheli’s “Angels in the Architecture” and other works.