GRANTHAM, Pa. (Sept. 28, 2007) — The Messiah College School of the Arts will present three concerts to celebrate Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 19-21 in Miller Auditorium, located in the Climenhaga Fine Arts Center on the college’s Grantham campus. All concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, call the music department at (717) 766-2511, extension 3310.

Oct. 19, 8 p.m.

The Messiah College Symphony Orchestra will present a concert under the direction of Timothy Dixon, director of orchestral activities at Messiah College and music director of the West Shore Symphony Orchestra.  The concert will feature pianist Rebecca Wilt, artist-in-residence at Messiah College in a performance of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”  Also on the program is Edward Elgar’s “Serenade for Strings” and the great “Symphony No. 8 in G” by Antonin Dvorák.

Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

The Messiah College Jazz Ensembles will present their annual fall concert under the direction of William

Stowman, chair of the department of music at Messiah College and the Jazz Combo coached by Kirk Reese, adjunct lecturer in the Messiah College music department. The program will include standard big band selections, classic jazz standards, Messiah's own brand of sacred jazz and special selections that reflect the band’s focus on two great American bandleaders:  Duke Ellington and Stan Kenton.  

Oct. 21, 3 p.m.

The Messiah College Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds will present a concert under the direction of Bradley Genevro, director of bands and assistant professor of music. The Wind Ensemble, comprised of 46 members, will perform “Canzona” by Peter Mennin and “American Overture” by Joseph Wilcox Jenkins among many others. In addition, the Symphonic Winds, a 65-member ensemble, will perform titles such as “Fanfare & Hymn” by Bill Locklear and “Susquehanna Valley March” by Professor Emeritus Bill Higgins.

Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,800 undergraduate students in 60 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.