Join Us for Season 7!
A Goodly Heritage: Selections from The Psalm Works
September 29, 2024
3:00 p.m. | WMPC Main Hall
Join musicians from White Memorial Presbyterian Church in exploring the poetic and melodic beauty of the Psalms, newly set to music by our own Jeff Siker in A Goodly Heritage: Selections from The Psalm Works. Hear familiar themes from the Psalms – praise and thanksgiving, lament and sorrow, confession and repentance, wisdom and instruction, hope and salvation – in a variety of musical styles that celebrate the rich and enduring legacy of these sacred texts. Whether you’re a longtime lover of the Psalms or simply appreciate the beauty of inspired music, you won’t want to miss this special event.
About Jeff: Rev. Dr. Jeffrey S. Siker is Emeritus Professor of Biblical Studies at Loyola Marymount University, where he taught from 1987-2019. He is known for his many books and articles on early Christianity, the history of biblical interpretation, and Christian ethics. Before earning his M.Div. (Yale Divinity School) and Ph.D. (Princeton Theological Seminary), Jeff received his BA in music composition, as well as an MA in Religious Studies, from Indiana University (Bloomington). A long-time student and performer of jazz piano, in his retirement Jeff has turned to a new pursuit that blends his creative musical and scholarly passions – setting all 150 Psalms to music. Jeff is an ordained Presbyterian minister in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., a member of the New Hope Presbytery, and OnPoint Band pianist at WMPC.
The Ardora Trio
November 24, 2024
3 p.m | Sanctuary
Autumnal Melodies: Schubert & Arensky
The Ardora Trio, was formed in 2024 by violinist Jessica Ryou, cellist Sean Hawthorne, and pianist Jean Park. Jessica Ryou is in the first violin section of the North Carolina Symphony. Sean Hawthorne is an active performing cellist and educator who most recently served as Assistant Professor of Cello at East Tennessee State University. Jean Park is piano faculty at Duke University and Meredith College. For more information, please visit ardoratrio.com.
MLK Songs of Love and Justice
Sunday | January 19, 2025
3 p.m. | Sanctuary
Presented by White Memorial Presbyterian and Wilson Temple United Methodist Church.
LaToya Lain
February 23, 2025
3 p.m. | Sanctuary
Within Her Heart: Honoring the Fortitude and Resiliency of Women.
Applauded for her “wonderfully rich,” “powerful,” and “captivating” voice, American singer LaToya Lain, teaches The History and Performance Practice of the Negro Spiritual at UNC-CH. LaToya recently made her Metropolitan Opera Debut in Porgy and Bess, and she returns to WMPC in concert with pianist Casey Robard.
Pepper Choplin
March 9, 2025
3 p.m. | Main Hall
Pepper Choplin: A Night of Humor and Inspiration
Pepper Choplin is a full-time composer, conductor and humorist. He has gained a reputation as one of the most creative writers in church music today, and moves audiences with his powerful ballads and clever humor.
The Tune Swingers Orchestra
April 6, 2025
3 p.m. | Main Hall
Modern Big Band: From Glenn Miller to Stevie Wonder
The Tune Swingers Orchestra from Raleigh perform classic big band music from the 1930s and 1940s made famous by Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, but also play more modern hits in the exciting big band style. In the tradition of the great swing orchestras of the past, the Tune Swingers Orchestra is a nineteen-piece jazz band consisting of five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, rhythm section, and vocalist. Unlike a traditional big band, the Tune Swingers Orchestra’s repertoire also includes music by the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock, Tower of Power, etc. Whether performing a modernized version of classic big band hits or more contemporary music in a big band style, the Tune Swingers Orchestra is sure to please both listeners and dancers.
Each concert will have a reception to follow.
Past Sounds On Oberlin Seasons
9/23/18 – The Lonely Heartstring Band
1/13/19 – Westminster Concert Bell Choir
2/24/19 – Three Triangle Tenors
4/5/19 – Music from Four Continents: Kirsten Homdrom, Piano
6/9/19 – Mendelssohn Piano Trios: Niccolo Muti, Violin; David Oh, Cello; Kirsten Homdrom, Piano
9/29/19 – Organ, A to Z and In Between: Karl Zinsmeister
10/25/19 – UNC Jazz Faculty Quintet with Kate McGarry
12/15/19 – Magnificat, WMPC Choirs
9/20/20 – Joe Robinson, Oboe
10/25/20 – Mendelssohn Sonatas: Karl Zinsmeister, Organ; Kirsten Homdrom, Organ
3/10/21 – Classical and Celtic Violin: Mara Shea
5/5/21 – Lyricosa Quartet
6/2/21 – Narrative of a Slave Woman: LaToya Lain, Soprano
9/26/21 – Winterreise: Adrian Smith, Baritone; Kirsten Homdrom, Piano
10/24/21 – Jazzical with Joel: Joel Martin, Piano
2/27/22 – Carmen Inside Out: Kirstin Chavez, Mezzo-Soprano; Qiao Zheng Goh, Piano
3/27/22 – Requiem, WMPC Choirs
4/24/22 – Raleigh Ringers, Handbells
5/22/22 – Anita Burroughs-Price, Harp
10/16/22 – Ariel Pocock, Jazz Singer/Songwriter; Keith Ganz, Guitar
12/11/22 – Carol Fest, WMPC Choirs
2/5/23 – Songs of Love Through the Ages: Rush Dorsett, Soprano; Nora Burgard, Mezzo-Soprano; Kirsten Homdrom, Piano
5/21/23 – Those Americans: Nicole Keller, Organ
October 15, 2023 – Concert for A Cause: A Hymn Festival supporting SAFEchild
November 19, 2023 – In Commemoration: 150 Years of Rachmaninoff
January 21, 2024 – Caminemos con Jesús
March 3, 2024 – Bending the Boundaries of Bluegrass
September 29, 2024 – A Goodly Heritage: Selections from The Psalm Works
The Sounds on Oberlin Concert Series
Concerts will be offered on the WMPC campus and livestreamed on the WMPC website. Concerts may also be streamed on WMPC social media platforms. Concert recordings will be available for viewing for up to one week after the concert.
Please consider making a gift to support Sounds on Oberlin. Any amount is most welcome and appreciated. Your contribution is a meaningful building block to future Sounds on Oberlin concerts.
Concert Series Committee
Carol Hardman & Stephanie Schumann, Co-Chairs, Richard Bryant, Dana Droz, Nathan Goettsch, Kathy Kidd, Louise McCoy, Wayne Rogers, and Jared Smith with continued support from WMPC staff
Questions? Contact the Sounds on Oberlin Concert Series Committee