Briggs, Britten, Howells, Parry, and more!
February 17, 2023 8:00 PM
HARMONIA
ORLANDO SINGS SYMPHONIC CHORUS
DR. BRUCE NESWICK, ORGAN
First United Methodist Church of Orlando
Featuring one of the world’s most celebrated organists, Bruce Neswick, on the magnificent organ (86 ranks, 6 divisions, 4 manuals) of First United Methodist Church of Orlando, the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus and Harmonia sing awe-inspiring Anglican works for choir and pipe organ.
LOCATION
The concert will be held at the beautiful and acoustically lovely First United Methodist Church of Orlando.
ADDRESS: 142 E Jackson St Orlando, FL 32801
If I’m driving, where do I park?
If you do not often go downtown, we know it can be hard to know where to park. But Downtown Orlando has A LOT of parking that will cost you from $0 to around $10. On-Street Metered Spaces are FREE from 6 p.m. – 8 a.m. You can find parking garage locations here. The closest garages to FUMCO are:
- Administration Center Garage (300 Liberty Avenue, Orlando, FL, 32801)
- Seaside Garage (77 E Jackson St, Orlando, FL 32801)
- Citrus Center Garage (255 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL, 32809)
REPERTOIRE
HARMONIA
Psalm 150 David Wilcocks
Cantique de Jean Racine Faure
SYMPHONIC CHORUS
I Was Glad Hubert Parry
Rejoice in the Lamb Benjamin Britten
Solosist: Kat Supina, Cristina Jimenez, Ezra Prather, Samuel Carlton
Intermission
Jubilate Deo Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Exodus III Kerensa Briggs
Soloists: Hillary Brown, Aaron Kass
Like as the Hart Herbert Howells
Old Hundredth Psalm Tune Ralph Vaughan Williams
HARMONIA
Missa Brevis Benjamin Britten
Soloists: Cristina Jimenez, Irene Kaplan, Emylette Marrero, Liana Rivera
COMBINED
The Lord Bless You and Keep You John Rutter
BRUCE NESWICK
ORGANIST
Bruce Neswick enjoys immense popularity and is in tremendous demand throughout the country as organist, improviser, choral conductor and trainer, commissioned composer, and hymn festival leader.
Mr. Neswick holds the Fellowship degree from the Royal School of Church Music. He has served on the faculties of and performed for numerous church music conferences, including the Association of Anglican Musicians, Westminster Choir College Summer Session, the Sewanee Church Music Conference, among others. He was a featured recitalist at the national AGO conventions in Seattle and Washington, DC, and featured performer at the Dallas and Boston national conventions.
A celebrated composer of organ and choral music, Mr. Neswick’s music is published by Paraclete, Augsburg-Fortress, Selah, Vivace, Hope, Plymouth, and St. James Press. His skill at improvisation garnered him three first prizes from the 1989 San Anselmo Organ Festival; the 1990 American Guild of Organists’ national convention in Boston; and the 1992 Rochette Concours at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland.
He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and Yale University’s School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music. His teachers include Robert Baker, David Dahl, Gerre Hancock, Margaret Irwin-Brandon, and Lionel Rogg. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2016 by the University of the South, Sewanee, TN.
From April 2014 to July 2022, Mr. Neswick was Canon for Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, Oregon. Prior to this appointment he was Associate Professor of Organ Music at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He now resides in San Diego, California and begin as Artist in Residence at Church of St. James-by-the-Sea in La Jolla.
Bruce Neswick is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.
CONDUCTORS
SANDRA SHAFER
ANDREW MINEAR
JUSTIN CHASE
SOLOISTS
BRITTEN’S REJOICE IN THE LAMB
Kathryn Supina, soprano
Soprano Kathryn (Kat) Supina has enjoyed a career filled with solo and ensemble singing in a wide variety of musical styles.
Originally from State College, PA, Kathryn began her career in New York City as a church musician, singing at a number of churches and synagogues in the metro area. Her most notable engagement was with the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Chamber Choir, where she performed an array of oratorios and sacred works. She also performed with New York City Opera as a chorister and cover.
In 2019, Kathryn began singing with the Voices of Liberty at EPCOT. Since relocating to Orlando, she has relished the numerous musical opportunities in the area, from dinner theater to session singing. Kathryn is thrilled to be part of the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus and Solaria Singers.
Cristina Jimenez, mezzo soprano
Cristina Jimenez, originally from Texas, serves as the Director of Choirs at Innovation Middle School in Orlando, Florida. She began her career in music education at Meadow Woods Middle School, where her choral program grew from 90 to nearly 300 singers. Under her direction, her choral ensembles have received Superior Ratings at District Music Performance Assessment and have performed at the Florida ACDA Conference. She received both a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education from Florida State University where she studied with Dr. Judy Bowers, Dr. Kevin Fenton, and Dr. André Thomas.
Cristina is an active member of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), Florida Vocal Association (FVA), and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). She has served as the All-County Treble Choir coordinator for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) and is the choral camps coordinator for the FSU Summer Music Camps.
Ezra Prather, tenor
Ezra Prather is a recent graduate of The Florida State University, receiving a BME in Choral Music Education. He is now in his first year of teaching Chorus and Theater at Deltona Middle School. Ezra is an experienced pianist and singer in both secular and sacred settings, currently singing with the Festival Singers of Florida and the Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus as well as Solaria.
Samuel Carlton, bass
Samuel Carlton received his master’s degree in choral conducting at Florida State University where he also received a bachelor of music in theory and composition. As a vocal soloist, he has made multiple appearances in Tallahassee performing with the FSU Student Opera Society, Florida State University Singers, FSU Chamber Choir, Tallahassee Civic Chorale, and Tallahassee Community Chorus. His solo performances include The Presidents in Leonard Bernstein’s A White House Cantata, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, Page in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Pilate in J.S. Bach’s St. John’s Passion. As a pianist, Samuel received first place in FSU’s annual piano competition for his performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt Regards and Paul Hindemith’s Piano Sonata No. 3. He has also collaborated with many vocalists and choirs throughout the state of Florida. Samuel is also an established arranger with publications at Colla Voce and Beckenhorst Press. Currently, Samuel enjoys working as the owner of SMC Studios, a private music studio in Orlando Florida and as the worship leader and chancel choir director at Presbyterian Church of the Lakes.
BRIGGS’ EXODUS III
Hillary Brown, mezzo soprano
Hillary Brown is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (MM Vocal Performance, magna cum laude) and Stetson University (BM Vocal Performance, magna cum laude). Her study of opera and voice, along with a flair for bringing distinctive characters to life, has resulted in being cast in a wide variety of dramatic and quirky roles, including Lady Billows (Albert Herring), The Housekeeper (Man of La Mancha), Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). Ms. Brown also performed the role of Isabela in the world premiere revised edition of La Hija de Rappaccini by Daniel Catán. Her stylistic adaptability and vocal beauty have earned Ms. Brown not only a place in operatic repertoire, but in recital repertoire as well. Most recently, she has sung Mirjam’s Siegesgesang (Schubert), Missa in Angustiis (Haydn), Sieben Frühe Lieder (Berg), and Requiem (Duruflé).
Ms. Brown is an inaugural member of Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus and its chamber choir, Solaria Singers, and is also a member of the Festival Singers of Florida under the direction of Dr. Kevin Fenton. Since returning to Florida in 2015, Ms. Brown has held adjunct voice faculty positions at Dr. Phillips High School and Edgewater High School in Orlando.
Aaron Kass, baritone
Aaron is a chorus teacher at Lake Nona High School. Born and raised in Orlando, FL, Aaron is excited to being singing with Orlando Sings for its second season and to be singing in this wonderful space again. Fun fact! The last time Aaron sang Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb was in this exact space during his freshmen year of high school 2005. Glad to be singing this work and others in this beautiful space once again!
BRITTEN’S MISSA BREVIS
Irene Kaplan, soprano
Irene Kaplan currently teaches music at Prairie Lake Elementary in Orlando, Florida. She received her bachelors in General Music Education from Florida State University, and is currently pursuing a master’s in Music Education at the University of Florida. Irene regularly performs with Orlando Sings as a member of both Harmonia and Symphonic Chorus, and is also a member of Festival Singers of Florida, under the direction of Dr. Kevin Fenton.
Emylette Marrero, mezzo soprano
Emylette is currently a student at Valencia College, Majoring in Music Education. Emy graduated from Lake Nona High School in 2022 and while in chorus, they were a member of the All-State, All-County and ACDA Choirs. Emy is excited to make their Harmonia solo debut.
Cristina Jimenez, mezzo soprano
Cristina Jimenez, originally from Texas, serves as the Director of Choirs at Innovation Middle School in Orlando, Florida. She began her career in music education at Meadow Woods Middle School, where her choral program grew from 90 to nearly 300 singers. Under her direction, her choral ensembles have received Superior Ratings at District Music Performance Assessment and have performed at the Florida ACDA Conference. She received both a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education from Florida State University where she studied with Dr. Judy Bowers, Dr. Kevin Fenton, and Dr. André Thomas.
Cristina is an active member of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), Florida Vocal Association (FVA), and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). She has served as the All-County Treble Choir coordinator for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) and is the choral camps coordinator for the FSU Summer Music Camps.
Liana Rivera, mezzo soprano
Liana is currently pursuing her bachelors degree in Business and Information Management at Seminole State. She previously sang at Apopa High School. While in high school, Liana sang in the All-State and All-County Chorus. She is a very dedicated church musician and loves singing with her sister Katia. Liana is so grateful to be part of a beautiful and diverse group of passionate singers.