[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 20, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  IN RECOGNITION OF DR. RICK HOFFENBERG AND THE MARY-WOOD CAMPUS CHOIR

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                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 20, 2016

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Marywood 
Campus Choir under the direction of Dr. Rick Hoffenberg. The choir 
filled the rotunda on Marywood University's campus on May 2-3 2015 for 
a program entitled ``Almost A Cappella.'' The performance was unique in 
that it featured musical accompaniment for the first time in the four 
years that the University has been giving choral concerts inside the 
rotunda.
  The concert opened with Richard Rodney Bennett's ``A Farewell to 
Arms'' with the Campus Choir singing to cello accompaniment, beginning 
with a cello solo elegy performed by Mrs. Christiane Appenheimer-Vaida. 
This memorable piece was followed by Henryk Gorecki's ``Lobgesang'' 
featuring the glockenspiel performed by Christopher Morrison.
  Next on the program were two selections by Stephen Chatman, ``Alas, 
that Spring should vanish with the rose'' and ``Thou whose harmony is 
the Music of the Spheres.'' The former featured the florid 
accompaniment of a clarinet performed by Ms. Katie Morell who did 
ascending scales and trills as part of the flowery duet with the choir. 
The latter featured accompaniment by oboe performed by Mr. Thomas 
Heinze, and here the musical embellishment was melancholy and blended 
with the wistful sounds of the choir.
  The Chatman selections were followed by Stephen Paulus' ``Meditations 
of Li Po.'' The piece concluded with a draining of the voices to the 
sound of hand bells performed by Ms. Mary Ann Rutkowski. The concert 
concluded with two selections of Giovanni Gabrieli, his ``O Quam 
Suavis'' and his ``Angelus Domini Descendit,'' to the accompaniment of 
oboe courtesy of Thomas Heinze, clarinet courtesy of Katie Morell, 
bassoon courtesy of Alyssa Speicher, and horn courtesy of Sarah 
Schouten. These selections were caught in the jaws of articulation 
between the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music and sounded a bit 
like music from both time periods.
  It is an honor to recognize Dr. Rick Hoffenberg and the Marywood 
Campus Choir for their excellent performance. May they continue to 
contribute to the cultural value of Marywood University and its 
surrounding community in greater Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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