Westminster Choir, Rider Travel Course Highlight Spoleto USA

Historic Charleston, SC, known for its coastal plain of sparkling beaches, spacious marshes, palmetto trees and stately homes is attractive at any time of the year, but for classical music and opera lovers it is even more exciting in early June.
     Just ask John Sullivan, professor of English and director of the American Studies department at Rider. On June 3, he's off to the Spoleto USA Festival in scenic Charleston, SC, to teach his three-credit travel course, Special Topics in American Studies: Spoleto Festival USA (AMS-214).
     Open to students, alumni, as well as faculty and staff at Rider's Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses, the one-week course will further acquaint those enrolled with the breadth of talent of Rider's world-renowned Westminster Choir, under the direction of Joseph Flummerfelt, principal conductor at Westminster and artistic director for choral activities for the Spoleto Festival USA. Since 1977, Westminster Choir has been the chorus-in-residence for the Spoleto Festival. Students will attend Westminster Choir's dress rehearsals and concerts as well as write papers on the repertory and performances. The course will also include theater and chamber music.
     This year, members of Westminster Choir and Joseph Flummerfelt will perform Honegger's King David and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, as well as their annual performances with Nancianne Parrella, accompanist, at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul. The Choir will also serve as the opera chorus for productions of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte and Wagner's Flying Dutchman.
     "Westminster's annual contribution to Spoleto is one of its most distinguished features; the group is the heart and soul of the festival," said Sullivan, author of New World Symphonies: How American Culture Changed European Music (Yale University Press). Sullivan, who writes for Opera magazine, will cover this year's Spoleto Festival for the publication. "This course is another way of making Westminster an integral part of a Rider education."
     Sullivan incorporates various cultural aspects of city life into the daily itinerary of all of his trips. In his course, "The Literary and Musical Culture of New Orleans," he recently took students on a jazz tour of New Orleans to expose them to the essence of city life. This year, the group was invited to the home of noted trumpet player and singer Kermit Ruffins, a native of New Orleans. The trip to the Spoleto festival is similarly designed with Sullivan incorporating Spoleto's rich history into the musical mix.
     "The Spoleto trip will include a tour of the Gullah islands, walking tours, a play, and a chance to dine on wonderful, authentic Southern cuisine," added Sullivan, who is also a frequent reviewer for The New York Times, The Washington Post and American Record Guide. "It will be a great experience."
     Registration is currently under way. Students who enroll in AMS-214 will be required to complete required readings and attend classes scheduled before and after the trip, which ends June 10. No technical knowledge of music is required. The Holiday Inn, Historic District, will serve as the host hotel. For more information on AMS-214, call Sullivan at (609) 895-5573.

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