Choir, chamber present program at St. Stephen’s

November 11, 2013

The Wilkes University choir and chamber singers celebrate more than just music.

The choral ensembles, titled “In Praise of Music,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 22 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

The event is free and open to the public, Steven Thomas, chorus director saying that this event is a gift to the community.

The date the event will be held on has more significant meaning. Benjamin Britain, a composer who wrote choir pieces, will turn 100 on Nov. 22.

Pieces of his work will be featured in the ensembles that night. That day is also Saint Cecilia’s Day. Saint Cecilia was the patron saint of music.

Lastly, Nov. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination. Herbert Howells’ Take Him Earth for

Cherishing is a choral piece in response to Kennedy’s death. This song will also be performed at the ensembles.

For more information on the Wilkes University Choir Ensembles, visit wilkes.edu under the calendar of events.

About the Contributor

Rasha Shaker, Advertising Director

Rasha Shaker is a senior Communication Studies major, with concentrations in broadcast media and public relations. Before attending Wilkes University, she obtained her Associates of Applied Science degree at Luzerne County Community College, majoring in Audio and Visual Communications. Rasha has been the Advertising Director for The Beacon since the summer of 2014. She’s also the Programming and Metal Director for 90.7 WCLH. On Mondays, Rasha hosts MetalMayhem with Ellybear from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Also, she is a board member of Zebra Communications, often writing features for The Medium, the quarterly departmental newsletter. Vastly creative with an abstract philosophy on life, Rasha is known to be a very approachable “comedienne”, which seems to work in her favor in terms of piquing the interests of advertisers for The Beacon. Rasha has taken a strong interest in media marketing, and hopes to have a career someday within the entertainment business. Over the summer, Rasha interned for GEOS Communications, home of WAZL and Gem 104 writing copy, producing commercials and shadowing the sales team. Currently, Rasha is interning for Moxie Green, a local advertising and marketing firm where she shares her ideas for social media content, and writes for the company’s blog. In her spare time, Rasha likes to write poetry, play role-playing games and paint.