Oakland Chorale Presents June 18 Bon Voyage Concert In Detroit

Before embarking on a tour of Spain this summer, the Oakland Chorale will present a Bon Voyage Concert on Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Sweetest Heart of Mary Church in Detroit.

The concert will feature music from Palestrina, Dett, Mealor, Mitchell, and a brand new piece by contemporary Spanish composer Polo Vallejo, as well as many African American Spirituals and other American music.

The Oakland Chorale is Oakland University's elite touring choral ensemble and is directed by Dr. Michael A. Mitchell.

"The students have worked incredibly hard all year to raise the funds to pay for this trip and to prepare musically," Mitchell said. "They are singing spectacularly and really are one of the top college choirs in the Midwest. I'm proud of them. And they are beyond excited to tour Spain, see the sights, meet the people, and perform in some truly beautiful historic sites."

Their tour of Spain will include Madrid, Segovia, Las Navas, Granada, Córdoba, Seville, and Merida. They will be performing four full concerts (Iglesia de San Martín, Festival de Música Vocal Las Navas del Marqués, Real Círculo de la Amistad and Iglesia de Santo Ángel) and Evening Mass at Iglesia de las Angustias.

This tour was originally scheduled for summer of 2020 but was canceled due to the pandemic.

"I think for me, the most exciting thing about the trip is actually going," said Oakland Chorale member Chris Aranda. "The trip was canceled my freshman year, and a lot of the people who weren't able to go on that trip were seniors who had traveled to Eastern Europe in 2017. But now, we have a chance to take an entire new group of people who haven't experienced anything like this together and make music in Spain. I can't wait to step off the plane in Madrid!"

Sweetest Heart of Mary is located at 4440 Russell Street in Detroit. The concert is free and all are welcome. For more information, visit oakland.edu/smtd/performances-and-events.