The legacy of the Lake Michigan College music department will be celebrated during a special free concert on April 15.
LMC invites the community to come and celebrate the rich history of its music program during the Legacy & Song concert to be held at the Mendel Center’s Jenkins Theatre. LMC choral director Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge tells us the evening will reunite former music directors and alumni for an evening of choral and instrumental music.
“There is, in the works, a slideshow of various pictures from various stages of the music department throughout the years,” Derbas-Selvidge said. “We have two previous choral conductors coming in to conduct a few pieces during the concert with different choral groups.”
Derbas-Selvidge says this idea came together as LMC completed some upgrades to the Mendel Center and the music faculty wanted to celebrate.
“After all of that was completed, we thought it would be a really wonderful way to not only celebrate the facelift that we had, the upgrades, but also a really nice time to celebrate just the great things that have happened at the college in the music department and things that are happening for our future and the future of our students.”
So, what was done to the Mendel Center?
“We have an upgrade to the Hanson Theater lobby. The main rehearsal space that we have is called the Sizer Rehearsal Studio, and that has also seen some upgrades. All of the HVAC has been upgraded, and with that, our acoustic treatment in the Sizer Rehearsal Studio has been upgraded. So our ceiling, the floors, the walls, all of that has been upgraded.”
Derbas-Selvidge notes the show on April 15 will feature the LMC Vocal Chamber, Vox LMC, the LMC Concert Choir, and the Alumni Choir assembled especially for this occasion.
“We have students who are performing features as well as our faculty are also coming in and supporting this concert as well. So not only are we featuring the history of the department, but we’re also including including present members of both student and faculty.”
Following the concert, the audience will be invited to join the guest conductors and students for a reception in the Mendel Center North Lobby.
Derbas-Selvidge says the April 15 show is free and open to anyone. It will start at 7 p.m.
