The Northern Michigan University Choirs will perform on the campus of NMU on Thursday, April 21st, 2022. Dr. Erin Colwitz will lead the choirs in a concert of spring renewal, with guest composer Eric Banks joining the choirs for a world premiere of his work To Be a Stranger.
Composer Eric Banks joins the NMU Choirs for a world premiere of his work To Be a Stranger, a contemporary choral work relating to the issues surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. The work was originally premiered online with a virtual choir in August of 2020, but this marks its premiere live at an in-person event. To Be a Stranger uses a variety of texts from people such as Dorothy West, John Lewis, and James Baldwin, and was commissioned by The Virtual Choir Consortium.
Eric's work as a composer, conductor, translator, vocalist, linguist, and ethnomusicologist positions him as a modern sound piece for the under-represented voices in the world. He aims to "create choral works that reach far beyond the scope of the established a cappella canon."
The NMU Choirs Concert takes place Thursday, April 21st, featuring the Arts Chorale and University Choir. Their final performance of the semester starts at 7:30 pm in Reynolds Recital Hall. Masks are required for attendance and admission is free.
For more information, visit the NMU Music Department's website.
