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Bluefield College’s select student voice ensemble, Variations, will perform John Rutter’s Requiem, Tuesday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Harman Chapel.

Chris Shoemaker

March 8, 2013

The event is open and free to the public. A love offering will be taken during the performance to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Described as an “incredibly beautiful and powerful work,” Rutter’s Requiem uses texts drawn from historic liturgy and Psalms to provide comfort and hope to all those who have ever experienced loss. Written in response to the death of his father, the compilation, featuring “personal prayers to Christ” is a convincing affirmation of Christian doctrine on death and eternal life.

Rutter is one of England’s best-known composers of the late 20th century, as well as a widely respected choral conductor. While his choral works, including the TeDeum, Magnificat, and Requiem, are the most familiar, he has also written instrumental works, including a piano concerto, the Suite Antique for flute, harpsichord, and strings, and two children’s operas.

Performing his Requiem on March 19, Variations is a 28-voice auditioned chamber chorus at Bluefield College, known for its performances of challenging choral literature. Under the direction of Bryant Moxley, chair of the Music Department, Variations tours annually throughout the region, performing for on and off campus concerts, churches, denominational events, and public and private schools.

In fact, Variations has performed twice at Carnegie Hall and once at the Lincoln Center in New York. The group has also toured internationally in Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic, and is currently planning a tour to India in summer of 2014.

For the Requiem concert, Variations will be accompanied by flute, oboe, clarinet, cello, piano and percussion. Featured instrumentalists for the performance will be Lisa N. Moxley, Allison Deel, Suzy Fry, Nick Hinkle, and Tad Schuler. Vocalists Tehillah Johnson and Alandra Blume will provide soprano solos for the show.

For more information, contact the Bluefield College Office of Public Relations by e-mail at or by phone at 276-326-4212.

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