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Summer 2010 | Volume 68, No. 4
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Gala presents Gospel, seminary talent
by Rebecca Carter
The Gala Concert of Sacred Music, held on Feb. 18, showcased the musical talents of Southwesterners and their professors—one of many enjoyable elements of the evening.
Southwestern’s Gala concert, in its seventh year, was held this year on campus in Truett Auditorium. A custom-built Wegner acoustical shell was installed on the stage roughly a week before, dramatically enriching the sound of Southwestern Seminary’s Master Chorale and orchestra.
Stephen Johnson’s Libera Me was a highlight of the night in both performance and composition. Johnson, who serves as the dean of Southwestern’s School of Church Music, took a moment before the performance to share how restoration and redemption comes through placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ to save him from his sins. This hope is reflected in Libera Me, Johnson said.
Professional bass-baritone Jeffrey Wells, a principal artist with the New York Metropolitan Opera, was the honored guest for the evening. Gala conductor and Southwestern professor David Thye led Wells in medleys of beloved hymns (“There is a Redeemer;” “You’ll Never Walk Alone/It is Well With My Soul”) and classic selections from musicals (“Bring Him Home,” Les Miserables; “Toreador Song,” Carmen).
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