225 Musicians From All Over Campus to Perform Haydn

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U of A Collegiate Chorale and Orchestra on stage at the Faulkner PAC.

More than 225 musicians from all over campus will take the stage in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center on Monday, April 29, for a concert featuring the legendary "Lord Nelson Mass" by Franz Joseph Haydn and the finale to Mahler's Symphony No. 1, using combined forces of the U of A Collegiate Chorale, directed by Stephen Caldwell, and the University Symphony Orchestra, led by Robert Mueller.

Stephen Caldwell, director of choral activities, said, "One of my favorite aspects of this concert is that there will be students on stage from Fulbright College, Bumpers College, Walton College, College of Education and Health Professions, College of Engineering, Honors College, and the Law School, plus faculty and staff from the departments of Music, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Plant Pathology, Mathematical Sciences, Poultry Science, the Honors College, and alumni of the University of Arkansas dating back as far as the class of 1964. This concert truly represents our whole community."

Franz Joseph Haydn composed what he titled the "Missa in Angustiis" in 1798, just before Lord Horatio Nelson's victory over Napoleon's forces at the Battle of the Nile. When Nelson next visited Vienna and the Esterhazy Court, it is likely the Mass was performed in his honor, and the nickname "Lord Nelson Mass" stuck. The piece is a tour de force for the choir, orchestra and soloists, alike. Highlights include three extended fugues, and ever-present military motives that lurk in the background of even its most uplifting music.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 29, at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center on campus. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance at faulkner.uark.edu or in person at the FPAC box office.