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Drake Chorale celebrates women in music with free concert

On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Drake Chorale, a select women’s ensemble, will perform a concert to celebrate female composers and musicians. The concert, “In Praise of Women,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium, 2507 University Ave.

Patricia Trump, FA’74, GR’87, who teaches music in the Des Moines Public Schools system, will address the audience at the beginning of the concert with an inspirational talk focused on empowering young women.

The concert will feature musical performances and readings by Drake Chorale members, Drake voice faculty, and the female Treble Choir from Valley Southwoods Freshman High School, which consists of approximately 80 ninth-graders. Heather Nail, AS’07, GR’10, conducts the choir at Southwoods.

“I am pleased to provide an opportunity for this diverse group of women to unite, lifting everyone through the power of song,” says Linda Vanderpool, conductor of the Drake Chorale and the event’s organizer.

Leanne Freeman-Miller, associate professor of voice, and Christine Fortner-Blanner, adjunct instructor of music, will sing both separately and together as part of the concert. Additionally, the Drake Chorale will sing compositions by Torina Gedler, a junior studying music composition at Drake.

The concert is free and open to the public and sponsored by the Drake Music Department. For more information, contact Linda Vanderpool at linda.vanderpool@drake.edu or 515-205-3771.