The Westminster Williamson Voices, conducted by James Jordan, will perform the world premiere of Roger Ames’ Moonrise at its October 14 concert, entitled “Sounds of Serenity and Contemplation” at 3 p.m. in Bristol Chapel on the Westminster campus in Princeton. The program is based on works from the choral literature that invite contemplation, serenity and sound, and will feature texts by Shakespeare, Morike, Yeats, Agee and Bishop.

The program begins with Vorspruch (Ode to Music) by Hugo Distler. It is followed by Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music and Ubi Caritas by Duruflé, which approaches serenity through the doors of spirituality. Innisfree and The Fiddler of Dooney by Gerald Custer use the poetry of Yeats to transport the listener to places where serenity and quiet abound. The program will also include settings of Sure on This Shining Night by American composers Samuel Barber and Morten Lauridsen.

Roger Ames’ Moonrise is a setting of a text by Elizabeth Basine, the composer’s lyricist for his off-Broadway productions How Green Was My Valley, Robin Hood, Cinderella and Puss N’ Boots. Musicals and choral works by Roger Ames have been performed at the Paris Opera, the Kennedy Center, and in high schools and universities around the world, as well as on public television and radio. Former chair of music theater at the Hartt School of Performing Arts, he is currently resident composer and director of composition, theory and vocal arts at Great Neck North High School in New York. A Composer Conversation podcast featuring Ames and Jordan discussing Ames’ career and approach to composing is on the Rider University Web site at http://media.rider.edu/blog/westminster-composer-conversations-roger-ames/.

The Westminster Williamson Voices is a select ensemble that primarily performs world music and the music of our time. It is named for Westminster’s founder, John Finley Williamson, who believed that choral music performed at the highest level should be accessible to all.

James Jordan, one of America’s most respected choral conductors and educators, is internationally recognized for his theories of rhythm pedagogy and movement, which are widely applied in teaching rhythm to children and adults.

Tickets for this performance are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Rider University faculty, staff and students may receive one free ticket with valid ID. To reserve tickets, call the Westminster box office weekdays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 609-921-2663.

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