This Saturday the Lafayette Master Chorale begin their 53rd season. The are presenting "Five Concerts For a Better World: A Prayer for Peace, Patchwork for Peace, Heavenly Peace, A Peaceable Kingdom, and Peace on Earth... and Lots of Little Crickets." WBAA's John Clare spoke with artistic director Michael Bennett about the concert A Prayer for Peace.
Learn more about the concert here.
Michael Bennett is the Director of Music at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette, where he serves as organist for all services, oversees the parish’s musical offerings, directs the choir program, and administers the concert series. Mr. Bennett is also choral director at Lafayette Jefferson High School where he directs several choirs, including the award winning Varsity Singers, who were state runners-up at the 2016 Indiana State School Music Association concert finals. In 2014 he was recognized for his excellent teaching by the Greater Lafayette Commerce as a Golden Apple Teacher, one of the newest teachers to the profession to have received the award.
Michael, a native of Roanoke, VA is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music where he received his Bachelor's degree in Organ Performance and the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and Choral Conducting. His primary instructors there were William Jon Gray, Marilyn Keiser, and Larry Smith. From 2004-2009 Michael was the Assistant Conductor and Youth Chorus Director for the Bach Chorale Singers. As the chorale's primary conductor for the 2006-2007 season, he was privileged to direct both choruses while on tour in Washington, D.C., at the Washington National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Arvo Part's Da pacem Domine is on this weekend's program:
