Trine music groups present annual ‘Halloween Haunt-cert’

The Trine University music program will open its 2026-2027 concert season with the return of its annual “Halloween Haunt-cert” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

Ensembles featured include the University Choir, led by Director of Choral Activities, Geoffrey North, D.M., and the University Chamber Orchestra, led by Director of the Music Program, Brad Jopek, D.M.A.

The concert and parking are free and will be held in the elegant Ryan Concert Hall inside the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts.

University Choir

The Trine University Choir will present musical selections including:

• “The Lamb,” poem by William Blake with music by Elaine Hagenberg.
• “Tyger,” poem by William Blake with music by Elaine Hagenberg. Blake wrote “Tyger” in 1794 in response to “The Lamb,” which was written in 1789, as he saw “contraries as facets of the same truth, rather than opposing forces: the same God fashioned the Lamb also brought forth the Tyger.”
• “Pilgrims’ Hymn” from the opera “The Three Hermits” by Stephen Paulus and Michael Dennis Browne. The opera is based on the short story and folk tale of the same title by Leo Tolstoy where a bishop travels to a remote island to teach three humble hermits the Lord’s Prayer.
• “Ave verum corpus” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A motet composed in 1791 for the feast of Corpus Christi and Mozart’s friend and church musician at St. Stephan in Baden bei Wien, Anton Stoll.
• “Until I Reach My Home,” arranged by Brandon A. Boyd.
• “Rise Up, O Flame” by Anonymous and Christoph Praetorius.

Chamber Orchestra

The Chamber Orchestra will present selections, some of which relate to the Halloween season, including:

• An arrangement of the first movement from Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, featured in the 1984 film, “Amadeus.”
• Tchaikovsky’s tone poem “Marche Slave,” written to celebrate Russia’s intervention in the Serbo-Ottoman War from 1876-1878.
• A nursery rhyme titled “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” by John Walter Bratton and Jimmy Kennedy.
• A sonic interpretation of a classic mystery novel with Peter Sciaino’s “Strange Twists and Devious Turns.”

As with last year’s performance, members of the Chamber Orchestra will wear Halloween costumes instead of traditional concert black to create a festive concert atmosphere for those in the audience.

The Trine University Chamber Orchestra rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:15-8:45 p.m. during the academic year and is open to members of the community, in addition to Trine University students. For more information about the Trine University Chamber Orchestra, please contact Dr. Jopek at jopekb@trine.edu or visit with him at any upcoming Trine music program concerts.

Choir members

The Trine University Choir members include the following:

Soprano: Adleigh Dunn, an elementary education major from Frankfort, Indiana; Marjorie Gean, an English education major from Lowell, Michigan; Alison Griffin, a biomedical engineering major from Brookville, Indiana; Braya Keen, an elementary education/special education major from Auburn, Indiana; Alexandria Lewis, an English education major from Schoolcraft, Michigan; Faith Marshall, a forensic science major from Brookville, Indiana; Linnea Pendley, a forensic science major from Noblesville, Indiana; Jersey Strieter, an elementary education/special education major from Rolling Prairie, Indiana; and Kailey Tirador, an exercise science major from Angola, Indiana.

Alto: Sarah Goffer, a mathematics education major from Rockford, Michigan; and Lillian Green, a software engineering major from Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Tenor: Ryder Brown, a communication major from Montpelier, Ohio; Caleb Grasser, a computer engineering major from Metamora, Ohio; Liam Gurley, a civil engineering major from Rushville, Indiana; Brandon Leavitt, a computer science and information technology major from Litchfield, Michigan; and Ryan Sederstrom, an electrical engineering major from Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Bass: Marcos Alvarez, an electrical engineering major from Goshen, Indiana; Hunter Creger, a software engineering major from Adrian, Michigan; Garrett Dixon, a civil engineering major from Lewis Center, Ohio; Xavier Harting, a general engineering major from Manchester, Indiana; Ben Hercules, a design engineering technology major from New Franklin, Ohio; Kendrick Law, a general arts and sciences major from Mooresville, Indiana; and Wes Parsley, an environmental science major from Martinsville, Indiana.

Chamber Orchestra members

Trine University Chamber Orchestra members include the following:

Flute: Holly Laney, a chemical engineering major from Butler, Indiana; Allison Long, a social studies education major from Goshen, Indiana; Abigail Schrock, a civil engineering major from Goshen, Indiana; Matt Albaugh, assistant professor, Department of Mathematics; and Leslie Bilik-Thompson, academic coach at Trine.

Clarinet: Alyssa Jones, a psychology major from Angola, Indiana.

Alto saxophone: Ashley Salas, a mechatronics and robotics engineering major from Goshen, Indiana.

Horn: Dolan Bush, a biology major from Fishers, Indiana; Ella Penndorf, a forensic science major from South Lyon, Michigan; Olivia Ward, a computer engineering major from Alexandria, Indiana; and Jessica Jopek, community member.

Trumpet: Stephen Kays, community member; and Nick Treat, community member.

Trombone: Reid Deneve, a biology major from Claypool, Indiana; Nathan Ferguson, a computer science major from Defiance, Ohio; and Ryan Sederstrom, an electrical engineering major from Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Tuba: Ryan Sederstrom.

Timpani: Xander Berger, a computer science and information technology major from Sherwood, Ohio.

Percussion: Ella McDaniel, a biology major from Huntington, Indiana; Brayton Moss, a computer science major from Fremont, Indiana; Luc Rabeyrin, a computer science and information technology major from Ladoga, Indiana; and Ari Wertz, a computer science and information technology major from Valparaiso, Indiana.

Violin I: Wesley Droll, concertmaster, a computer engineering major from Toledo, Ohio; Landon Murdock, a mechanical engineering major from Fort Wayne, Indiana; James Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Wade Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Megan Knowlton, community member, and Jonathan Rupp, community member.

Violin II: Katelyn Brott, a mathematics education major from Sturgis, Michigan; Allayna Gue, an elementary education major from Portage, Indiana; Sudeep Iyer, a chemical engineering major from India; Angel Macias, a civil engineering major from North Chicago, Illinois; and Brooke Randall, an elementary education major from Portage, Michigan.

Viola: Makena Kretz, a forensic science major from Portage, Indiana; and Tom Adamson, community member.

Cello: Kira Otten, community member; Rebecca Rupp, community member; and Richard Rupp, community member.