Inaugural WashU Choir Invitational with guest conductor/clinician Brandon Williams

The inaugural WashU Choir Invitational brings together four outstanding high school choirs from the St. Louis region - Clayton High School, Ritenour High School, Triad High School (IL), and Webster Groves High School - for a celebration of choral music and the work of composer, conductor, and educator Dr. Brandon Williams. The WashU Chamber Choir will also join the festival, with each ensemble performing a work by Dr. Williams. The evening will culminate in a combined performance of Seeking Light, led by the composer himself.

Inaugural WashU Choral Invitational with guest Conductor and Composer Dr. Brandon Williams, Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities, Rutgers University

Program

Ritenour High School Chamber Choir
Stephanie Ruggles, conductor
Kimberly Carson, piano

And So It Goes by Billy Joel, arranged by Bob Chilcott
Winter Wind by Brandon Williams

Webster Groves High School Chamber Singers
Jaylen Davis, conductor
Malachi Williams, piano

Lorelei by Clara Schumann, arranged by Brandon Williams
From the Window of Despair by Eric Tuan

Clayton High School Chamber Choir
Brian Parrish, conductor
Malachi Williams, piano

Sing Out Your Joy by Victor Johnson
Fierce Love by Brandon Williams

Triad High School Treble Chamber Choir
Veronica Rice, conductor
Stephen Eros, piano

Can’t Help It by Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, arr. Amanda Taylor and Tehillah Alphonso of Saje
Allerseelen by Richard Strauss, arranged by Brandon Williams

WashU Chamber Choir
John McDonald, conductor
Yeon-Kyung Kim, piano

Voices of the Earth by Brandon Williams
Grace Before Sleep by Susan LaBarr
RIUH (Chaotic Joy) by Tracy Wong
     Crystal Lovato, soloist
     Wilson Hou, vocal percussion

Combined Choirs
Brandon Williams, conductor
Yeon-Kyung Kim, piano

Seeking Light by Brandon Williams

Translations

Lorelei
Text by Heinrich Heine

I do not know what it means
That I should feel so sad;
There is a tale from olden times
I cannot get out of my mind.

The air is cool, and twilight falls,
And the Rhine flows quietly by;
The summit of the mountains glitters
In the evening sun.

The fairest maiden is sitting
In wondrous beauty up there,
Her golden jewels are sparkling,
She combs her golden hair.

She combs it with a golden comb
And sings a song the while;
It has an awe-inspiring,
Powerful melody.

It seizes the boatman in his skiff
With wildly aching pain;
He does not see the rocky reefs,
He only looks up to the heights.

I think at last the waves swallow
The boatman and his boat;
And that, with her singing,
The Loreley has done.

Allerseelen
Text by Hermann von Gilm

Set on the table the fragrant mignonettes,
Bring in the last red asters,
And let us talk of love again
As once in May.

Give me your hand to press in secret,
And if people see, I do not care,
Give me but one of your sweet glances
As once in May.

Each grave today has flowers and is fragrant,
One day each year is devoted to the dead;
Come to my heart and so be mine again,
As once in May.

RIUH
Text by Bihzhu

In the chaos of the world
Treasure the seeds of stillness
Woven together - chaos and peace - they shine
As the waves of life are sailed.
 

Biography

Brandon Williams is an associate professor and the director of Choral Activities at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he conducts the Rutgers Kirkpatrick Choir and the Rutgers Glee Club. Previously, he conducted the Rutgers Voorhees Choir, which was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall (2019) and Eastern ACDA (2020, 2024). Dr. Williams also appears internationally as a guest conductor, clinician, and presenter.

Dr. Williams amassed a decade of middle and high school teaching experience in St. Louis, Missouri, where he also served on the voice faculty at Maryville University and as a conductor with the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus and the St. Louis Children’s Choirs. His school ensembles received invitations to perform at the 2010 and 2013 Missouri Music Educators Association conventions, and his middle school ensemble was featured on GIA’s DVD “How to Make a Good Choir Sound Great!” Dr. Williams has won numerous awards, including the 2009 Missouri Choral Directors Association Prelude Award, an Outstanding Teacher Award from the University of Missouri-Columbia Honors College, the 2020–21 Rutgers Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovations, the Mason Gross Inclusive Community Faculty Award, and the 2021–22 Rutgers Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr. Williams holds degrees from Western Illinois University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Michigan State University. He also completed an Artist Teacher Diploma from the Choral Music Experience–Institute for Choral Teacher Education. He is the editor of Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers, and his writing appears in the Choral Journal, Music Educators Journal, and Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education. Dr. Williams also edits The Brandon Williams Choral Series with Gentry Publications. His choral compositions and arrangements are published with Hal Leonard, G. Schirmer, Mark Foster, Colla Voce, Morningstar Publications, and MusicSpoke.

Personnel

Ritenour High School Chamber Choir
Keaton Betts
Dexter Chambers 
Rae Clark
Payton Dawson 
Cody Hoffman
Jacob Hutson 
Caprice Jones 
Katrina Kesselring 
Noah McCuistion 
Jaylian McKnight 
Sabrina McNabb 
Joselyn Miller
Amy Minster
Armani Perkins
Ty Rosemann 
Brooklynn Sanderson 
Wilbur Starr

Webster Groves High School Chamber Singers
Mavis Alvarez
Savannah Bullerdick
Phoebe Dunn
Calem Ecker
Elizabeth Foppe
Kathryn Freshour
Summer Hill
Charlotte Hoff
Alexa Marshall
Mabel Metzger
Fiona Morayta
Amelia Mueller
Ava Olsen
Adeline Perry
Ella Plegge
Martha Poppen
Alexandra Roche
Matilda Simmons
Miriam Yau

Clayton High School Chamber Choir
Eleanor Ahn
Julia Barber
Catie Baxter
Saya Canter
Apollo Chu
Cate Gabel
Lily Goldman
Noah Haupt
Levi Holmes
Eleanor Holt-Shippey
Sadie Hong
Zain Kokan
Fletcher Kraus
Stella Mann
Rachel Marler
Ayla Martin
Aspen Meyer
Brody Mitchell
Louisa Nafzger
Ford Nissenholtz
Edie Schaumburg
Aud Schulz
Ben Shanker
Zoe Shook
David Wharton
Alec Wilkinson
Ava Wilkinson
Maggie Zeng
Kati Zustiak

Triad High School Treble Chamber Choir
Rosalyn Cigliana
Nora Mae Daugherty 
Elliana Eichenseer
Anison Funkhouser
Anayah Lillard
Makayla Hout
Leah Kim
Leah Masinelli
Aleigha Millikin
Paige Obernuefemann
Brinley Presson
Isabella Ton
Aria Wiley
Saya Walker
Harper Wiedau
Josie Wyatt
 

WashU Chamber Choir
Asha Aggarwal
Jared Berger
Raymond Brooks
Duyen Bui
Nick Chiu
Julianna Cool
Allison Cooper
Jaidyn Cugier
Evan Daly
Emily Della Pietra
Rose Freedman-Riles
Elizabeth George
Reilly Groves
James Heinrichs
Michael Hilzendeger
Pratik Jha
Lily Johnson
Crystal Lovato
Eve McMillin
Maseo Mercer
Aaron Miller
Rishi Mokkarala
Allison Montalvo
Danae Romero Leal
Sarah Rose
Ava Silverstein
Alena Wadzinske