Limestone Chorus Departs For Tour of Germany

The Limestone College and Community Chorus departed from campus on Sunday, May 13, to perform during a tour of Germany.

The eight-day concert tour of Germany, which concludes on May 20, will include stops in Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Erfurt, Eisenach, and Dresden. The chorus is conducted by the College’s Professor of Choral/Vocal Education Dr. Gena Poovey and is accompanied by Limestone Professor of Music Dr. David Thompson. 

During the past academic year, Limestone hosted a series of special events to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant movement. The musical selections during the tour of Germany will, in part, celebrate the Protestant Reformation and the culture that resulted from that historic movement.

The music performed by the chorus will represent many of the masters, especially the German music masters, who were a part of or followed in the history after the Protestant Reformation. German composers include Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Rheinberger, Mendelssohn, and Bruckner. The group will also perform American compositions by Aaron Copland, Dan Forrest, and Duke Ellington. The performances will include selections such as “Shall We Gather At The River,” “It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” and “The Girl I Left Behind Me.”

Limestone’s tradition in the arts is historic and cherished, dating back to a 1939 trip to New York City by the Limestone Choir to perform at the World’s Fair.  Under the direction of Dr. Poovey, the tradition has continued including performances in New York City; Utah; Washington, DC; York Minster and London, England; and Vienna and Salzburg, Austria.

Currently, the 26-voice Chorus serves the campus with frequent renderings of the National Anthem and the Limestone Alma Mater, but continues to perform concerts of great variety with works by composers such as Dan Forrest, Andre Thomas, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, and Jeffrey Ames, and presents major works such as Handel’s “Messiah,” the Faure “Requiem.” Traveling to Columbia and Charleston, the group was a major component of the southeast/East Coast USA premiere of “A Melancholy Song.” 

Dr. Poovey holds a B.A. in Music Education from Pfeiffer University, an M.M. in Music Education from Southern Methodist University, and a DMA in Conducting from the University of South Carolina. Dr. Thompson completed his Masters and Doctorate in Piano Pedagogy at the University of South Carolina and his B.A. in Piano Performance at Limestone College.