Under the leadership of Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Director of Choral Music, the performance will take a historical look at Jewish refugees during World War II, Irish refugees during the Potato Famine, the current Syrian Refugee Crisis, and the recent Haitian Refugee Crisis. The Virginia Wesleyan Singers and the Virginia Wesleyan Chorale will sing traditional music of the refugees’ home countries as visual projections display the social and political views of the respective times. George Stone, Applied Music Specialist and Accompanist, will join on piano.
Dr. Mortensen tells me that the concert will address a general fear of the unknown. In a letter included in the event program, he writes: “It is always a challenge to learn about and become familiar with someone whose history and culture is so different from our own. To alleviate this, we will present music that comes from the home countries from whom we’ve accepted refugees. These songs do not focus on the plight of a refugee, but simply seek to help us become more familiar with the lives of the people who are seeking refuge in the United States.”
As part of the evening, gently used items and financial contributions will be collected to support refugees in our local communities. Specific needs include various home items, including sewing machines, vacuums, and kitchen tools. All donations will be distributed through the Peninsula Islamic Community Center (PICC) with coordination by Dr. Antje Schwennicke, Assistant Professor of Political Science.
Thank you to Drs. Mortensen and Schwennicke, Mr. Stone, and the following members of the Virginia Wesleyan Singers and the Virginia Wesleyan Chorale for bringing this timely and immensely valuable program to our campus.
Gabriela Ayala William Lanagan
Jeannie Barnes Tabitha Lowell
Myles Baynard Gwendolynn Malone
Adrian Benn Estasnislao Martinez
Deidra Benn Devin Pee
Alexandra Bodicky Marissa Phillips
Morgan Boyd Tamia Ponder
Eve Craig Emily Powers
Andrew DeLuca Thomas Reinhold
Shelby Emch Laura Robusto
Lance Garrett Joshua Simmons
Patrice Glover Taylor Simpson
Marissa Gross Tara Truax
Andrew Harrelson Joy Vernon
Nicholas Hipple Amanda Waller
Azania Inman Amber Ward
Robert Jones Atrayeau Ward
Jonathan Joyner Cora Wilson
Adam Kurek Michael Wilson
Myles Baynard Gwendolynn Malone
Adrian Benn Estasnislao Martinez
Deidra Benn Devin Pee
Alexandra Bodicky Marissa Phillips
Morgan Boyd Tamia Ponder
Eve Craig Emily Powers
Andrew DeLuca Thomas Reinhold
Shelby Emch Laura Robusto
Lance Garrett Joshua Simmons
Patrice Glover Taylor Simpson
Marissa Gross Tara Truax
Andrew Harrelson Joy Vernon
Nicholas Hipple Amanda Waller
Azania Inman Amber Ward
Robert Jones Atrayeau Ward
Jonathan Joyner Cora Wilson
Adam Kurek Michael Wilson