The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will continue this season’s Collegiate Series with a concert by “The West Virginians,” under the direction of Lauren Lindsey. The nationally recognized choral ensemble from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater at the Cultural Center, State Capitol Complex in Charleston. The Collegiate Series is free and the public is invited to attend.
“The West Virginians” is a group of 13 singers, dancers, and instrumentalists enrolled as full-time students. The group formed in 1977 to be ambassadors for the college and since that time the students have been named as “Official Ambassadors of the State of West Virginia.”
During its 32-year history, “The West Virginians” has given nearly 3,400 performances throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In 1997, the group performed in India and Thailand as part of a tour to the American Baptist mission fields.
The multi-talented members of the group present a great variety of sacred and secular music, appealing to all age groups in a variety of settings. They have made dramatic and memorable contributions to the spiritual life of hundreds of churches, while their secular performances have entertained thousands with a combination of dance, varied instrumentation, and humor. The group performs contemporary Christian, rock, country, jazz, and Broadway music, as well as performing as a chamber choir, specializing in a cappella sacred choral repertoire.
The choral ensemble has produced several television specials, a 30-minute video and 12 full-length albums, cassettes and CDs. Each year, the group is assembled through an audition by the director, and the competition is intense. The students receive full-tuition scholarships that cover a substantial portion of their college costs.
Lauren Lindsey is an assistant professor of music at Alderson-Broaddus. She directs “The West Virginians,” conducts Concert Choir and Chapel Choir, teaches conducting, music rudiments, music hardware, voice class and applied voice. She has a bachelor of arts degree in music education from Alderson-Broaddus and a master of music degree from Illinois State University.
For more information about “The West Virginians” in concert or the Collegiate Series, contact Jacqueline Proctor, deputy commissioner for the Division, at (304) 558-0220, or call (304) 558-0162 in the evenings.
The Collegiate Series consists of performances and lectures by students and faculty from colleges and universities across the state. First Lady Gayle Manchin hosts the program.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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