Family weekend concert celebrates grand opening

On Saturday September 25, Performance Music at the University of Scranton’s Family Weekend President’s Concert will celebrate the Inauguration of Joseph G. Marina, SJ., as 29^e President.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The concert is open to guests, parents and family members visiting the campus for the family weekend and to all members of the university community. Admission is free, with seats on a first come, first seated basis. All spectators must wear masks throughout the performance. Access to the university campus and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be viewed on the Return Together Royal Family webpage.

The University of Scranton Concert Band and Choir will both perform at the concert, which commemorates Inauguration of Father Marina. The performance will include the second performance of a new work for orchestra and choir of soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB) commissioned for the inauguration of Father Marina, entitled “To The Ends Of The Earth”, composed by David Lantz III with a text inspired by the themes of the 35^eGeneral Congregation of the Society of Jesus. The work will be premiered at the opening ceremony on September 24, the day before the concert, and the composer will conduct the work both at the opening ceremony and at the concert.

The concert will also feature a short four-part choral piece written as a gift to the University by Dr. Wycliffe Gordon H. ’06, “We Give In To Your Will,” which has become a groundbreaking tradition in Scranton.

Plus, surprise guest performances with a “family” theme will be part of the event, according to conductor and performance music director Cheryl Y. Boga. Guest artists for the evening include the wife of composer Marti Lantz (who will serve as the pianist for the performance), son of Boga Joseph (trumpeter with the Vince Giordano Nighthawks and the Louis Armstrong Eternity Band) and his girlfriend Kako Miura (acclaimed chamber and solo violinist).

For more information on the Family Weekend Concert, Call 570-941-7624, Email [email protected] or visit scranton.edu/music.