Jazz Weekend and singing groups highlight musical offerings this week

This week the Department of Music presents five concerts, three of which are presentations of the Cornell Jazz Ensembles. All but one of these events are free and open to the public.

Under the direction of Kelly Hudson with organist William Cowdery, the Cornell Chorale will give a concert of 19th and 20th century sacred music Friday, Nov. 30, at 8 p.m. in Sage Chapel.

The program opens with Edward Bairstow's Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, followed by Benjamin Britten's Festival Te Deum. Also on the program are three choruses that first appeared as incidental music for Tolstoy's play Czar Feodor Ioannovic and four fanfares of Daniel Pinkham. The second half of the concert is dedicated to Gabriel Fauré's Requiem; Sara Lozyniak will sing the "Pie Jesu," and Ian Woolford will perform the baritone solos.

Hudson completed a bachelor of arts degree in music education at Luther College (Iowa) and a master of music degree in choral conducting and vocal performance at Colorado State University. She is in the process of completing her doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting at the University of Iowa.

Guest artist Vincent Herring will lead workshops and perform with the Cornell Jazz Ensembles this weekend in Barnes Hall.

On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2, the Cornell University Jazz Ensembles present two full days of events in Barnes Hall, including three concerts and two workshops with guest artist Vincent Herring.

On Saturday afternoon, the Trommer Jazz Chamber Ensemble and the Appel Latin Jazz Chamber Ensemble, both directed by Paul Merrill, present a jazz chamber recital at 2 p.m. This is followed by a lecture/workshop with saxophonist Herring from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. A concert scheduled for 8 that evening features Herring with the CU Jazz Ensemble I and the Bissett Hardbop Quartet, led by Keigo Hirakawa.

On Sunday Herring presents a second lecture/workshop from 2 to 3 p.m., and a second Jazz Ensemble concert featuring Herring will take place at 8, this time featuring the CU Jazz Ensemble II and the Gussman Chamber Jazz Ensemble, both directed by Merrill.

Saxophonist Herring has developed a virtuoso voice that is uniquely intense and vigorous, with energy and direction. Born in Hopkinsville, Ky., in 1964, he entered California State University at Chico on a music scholarship at age 16. A year later, he auditioned for a spot in the U.S. Military Academy band and made the move to West Point, which turned out to be a steppingstone to the New York jazz scene. Since first touring Europe and the United States with Lionel Hampton's big band, Herring has worked with Nat Adderley, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Mingus Big Band and Nancy Wilson, among many others. Also involved in jazz education, he has given clinics throughout Europe and the United States.

A trumpeter, composer and educator, Merrill has been performing since the age of 10. He holds a bachelor of music in jazz performance from William Paterson University and a master of music in performance from Ithaca College. Merrill is lecturer of music and director of jazz bands at Cornell and the Ithaca College School of Music.

The Cornell Glee Club has invited the Rutgers University Glee Club, under the direction of Patrick Gardner, to campus for a joint concert in Sage Chapel on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. The first half of the program will feature both choirs, each presenting its own set of pieces. Traditional Cornell and Rutgers songs as well as folk music round out the second half of the concert. The Glee Club is suggesting a donation of $5 as admission.