May Concert Series at Naugatuck Valley Community College

Waterbury, Conn. – The Music Department at Naugatuck Valley Community College will present a series of concerts throughout the month of May:

FRIDAY, MAY 1
The NVCC Gospel Choir, under the direction of James Hurdle, will sing songs of inspiration, hope and passion at 8pm on Friday, May 1, in the college’s Mainstage Theatre of the Fine Arts Center, 750 Chase Parkway. Suggested donation of $10.00 is requested.

FRIDAY, MAY 8
NVCC’s concert band, The Wind Ensemble of Western Connecticut, will hold their spring performance, "Postcards from Italy," at 7:30pm on Friday, May 8, in the College’s Mainstage Theater of the Fine Arts Center, 750 Chase Parkway. The fifty players, under the direction of Dr. Richard Gard, comprise one of the finest wind bands in the state. For this concert, all of the music is composed by Italians or about Italy itself, including Wilhelm Tell, Funicula, Verdi opera preludes, Italian dances and other popular marches and serenades. A slide show will run while the music is performed. Admission is free but donations are welcome at the door. For more information contact the music office (203)575-8039.

SATURDAY, MAY 9
The NVCC College Choir and NVCC Gospel Choir will join with the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of Manumission Requiem; Fortune's Bones at the Palace Theater, Waterbury, at 8pm on Saturday, May 9. This newly composed cantata by Gospel legend Ysaye Barnwell tells the story of Fortune, a slave who lived in Waterbury. Upon his death, Fortune's owner harvested his skeleton as a medical education tool, which is now cared for by the Mattatuck Museum. The music features operatic soloists, chorus and full orchestra as a celebration of the human spirit and of Fortune's life. Tickets are available from the Waterbury Symphony at waterburysymphony.org.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, MAY 22-23
One of the biggest off-Broadway and Broadway successes of all time, Godspell, is coming to NVCC at 8pm on May 22 and 23 in the College’s Mainstage Theater of the Fine Arts Center, 750 Chase Parkway

Long before composer Stephen Schwartz wrote the smash hit musical Wicked, he made his first contribution to Broadway with Godspell. Based primarily on the Gospel according to St. Matthew, this lively musical features a sparkling, seminal score and boasts a string of recognizable songs, led by the international hit, “Day By Day.”

The energetic and comedic cast brings this enduring favorite to life as they sing, dance and interact with members of the audience singing hits like “Prepare Ye the Way,” “Save the People,” “Learn Your Lessons Well,” “Bless the Lord,” “All For The Best,” “All Good Gifts,” “Turn Back, O Man” and “By My Side.”

Produced and directed by the same campus team that brought HAIR to a sold-out Palace Theater in 2008, this production of Godspell wowed audiences at Yale’s Golden Center on April 24 & 25, where two sold-out shows raised funds for the Saint Thomas More Chapel Soup Kitchen.

General admission is $12 and tickets are available online at showtix4U.com or by calling (203) 575-8039.