The concert will be the choir’s last under the baton of Dr. , who retires this spring after 39 years as a member of EMU’s music faculty.

For it, Nafziger has purposely sought out musicians in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley who can augment the more traditional selection of material offered in previous years.

The result is a highly eclectic program that employs the talents of a wide variety of performers with connections to EMU’s , and to the Chamber Singers – past and present.

“I wanted to do something special for this concert – something unique,” said Nafziger. “It became an opportunity to include all kinds of people.”

Among them are several EMU graduates, as well as current and former colleagues of Nafziger’s ranging from , founder of the Charlottesville-based baroque ensemble Three Notch’d Road and newly named executive director of the , to Trent Wagler ᾽02, who fronts Steel Wheels, the nationally celebrated roots band.

Others include:

• , concert pianist and coordinator of keyboard studies at EMU;
• Katie Derstine ’05, EMU staff member and co-founder of local a cappella ensembles Good Company and Shekinah;
• , violinist and chair of EMU’s Music Department;
• Anne Gross, formerly of EMU’s music faculty, and now assistant professor of voice at Elizabethtown College;
• Les Helmuth, executive director of the VMRC Foundation, and a 1978 product of the undergraduate program in Vocal Performance at EMU;
• , noted baritone and assistant professor of voice at EMU;
• Jeanette Zyko, who instructs in oboe at James Madison University’s School of Music and serves as the school’s director of undergraduate admissions.

“Going through old programs while clearing out my office,” reflected Nafziger, “so many memories came flooding back to me – the people, the repertoire, the communities for whom and with whom we sang.”

Hence, the appellation “Communities of Song,” testifying to Nafziger’s belief that “it takes a village, a community, for music to exist.”

The concert begins with a processional piece borrowed from an African-American church in Washington, D.C. It will be followed by a Bach cantata, with strings and oboes.

Bridging the middle portion of the evening is a section titled “Hope,” which takes its inspiration from the words of the late Martin Luther King Jr., who in a speech the night before his death observed that, “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” It consists of spirituals and popular songs in which can be found, according to Nafziger, “reasons for hope in dire circumstances.”

The concert’s concluding segment is titled “Great Prayers,” and features settings of prayers attributed to Jesus, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Francis of Assisi.

Admission to the concert is free. However, any donations received will go to support the EMU Music Department’s scholarship fund. 

Nafziger – who has earned renown not only for his choral and orchestral conducting, but also for his central role in the founding of the – will continue as the festival’s artistic director and principal conductor for its forthcoming 25th anniversary season.

The festival runs June 11 through 18 at EMU and other venues in and around Harrisonburg.

The new faculty, announced by , provost; Michael King, dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and of Eastern Mennonite Seminary; and , vice president and undergraduate academic dean, include:

Linda Alger, instructor of nursing. Alger earned a MSN at Walden University and a BS in nursing from EMU. She brings extensive nursing experience as a staff nurse and director of the critical care unit at RMH/Sentara. Alger has taught at Blue Ridge Community College and will bring her clinical experience to the clinical classroom setting at EMU.

Clement Acevedo, instructor of music. Acevedo is a DMA candidate at James Madison University School of Music, with an anticipated completion date in 2016.  He earned a BM from University of the Philippines College of Music; an MM in piano performance from Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance; and an MM in piano pedagogy from West Chester University of Pennsylvania School of Music. Acevedo’s professional experiences include serving as the choir director and minister of music at a Lutheran church in Pennsylvania, teaching Suzuki and traditional piano, and performing in the Philippines, China and the United States.

Syafaatun Almirzanah, PhD, professor of religious studies. Almirzanah is a Fulbright Scholar from Indonesia who will teach religious studies. She has a PhD and master’s degrees in theology from the Lutheran School of Theology, as well as a DMin degree from Catholic Theological Seminary, all located in Chicago, Illinois. She earned an MA in philosophy and a BA in comparative religions at Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Tammy Duxbury, assistant professor of accounting. Duxbury earned an MS in taxation from Bryant University and a BS in business and commerce-accounting at the University of Houston-Downtown. Duxbury brings accounting experience in the areas of taxation, taxation research and tax consulting along with experience in personal finance planning and consultation. She was an adjunct accounting instructor and a scholarly practitioner at several institutions.

Jan Emswiler,  instructor of nursing. Emswiler earned a MPH in international health and development from Tulane University School of Public Health and a BA in nursing and biology from ��ݮ���� . Emswiler brings international nursing experience in the areas of public health, HIV/AIDS care and support, and maternal child health care. She has taught in Zambia and Tanzania, and at Goshen College and James Madison University

Dana Farrar, instructor of nursing. Farrar holds an MSN and BS in nursing from ��ݮ���� . She brings hospital floor experience in medical/surgical units and orthopedics as well as experience as an e-health specialist at Sentara RMH.

Jeanne Heil, PhD, assistant professor of Spanish. A scholar of applied linguistics with the ability to teach both language and linguistics, Heil earned a BA  in Spanish from Wittenberg University and an MA and PhD in Hispanic studies from University of Illinois. She will contribute both teaching expertise and administrative experience as a language coordinator to the language and literature department.

Cassandra Kennell, PhD, assistant professor of psychology. Kennell, an experienced substance abuse therapist, holds both a PhD and MA in clinical psychology from the American School of Psychology. She earned an MA in counseling at EMU and a BS in psychology from the University of South Florida. At Shenandoah Psychological Services, LLC, she has provided individual and group therapy for children, adolescents, families and couples, as well as psychological and neuropsychological testing,

Roxann Allen Kioko, instructor of business. Kioko anticipates completion of a PhD in strategic leadership from James Madison University in fall 2016. She earned an MA in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at EMU and a BA in history from EMU. Kioko brings professional and administrative experience in numerous non-governmental organizations along with teaching experience in Ethiopia with Mennonite Central Committee. Kioko has been an adjunct instructor for both undergraduate and graduate courses at EMU.

Eva Pastalkova, PhD, assistant professor of biology. Pastalkova holds a PhD and MS in neuroscience, and a BA in biology from Charles University in the Czech Republic. She has been an innovative researcher, teacher, program developer and administrator to both the undergraduate biology and graduate biomedicine departments. Her expertise in the areas of bioinformatics, neuroscience and biology will add value and breadth in both departments.

Andrew Suderman, instructor of theology. Suderman anticipates completing a PhD in systematic theology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa this year. He earned a BA in philosophy from Canadian Mennonite University and an MT in theological studies from Conrad Grebel University in Canada. He brings international and cross-cultural experience in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Colombia and South Africa.

Paul Yoder, PhD, assistant professor of education. An experienced teacher at several levels, Yoder completed his PhD in curriculum and instruction from University of Virginia. He earned his MA in education and a BA in history and social science from ��ݮ����. He has taught social studies, US history and English as a Second Language in Harrisonburg area public schools. In addition, he has been an adjunct instructor at James Madison University and EMU, and taught in the EMU’s Intensive English Program

Zelijko Mirkovic, instructor of digital media. Mirkovic is an award-winning film and television director who contributes expertise in the areas of producing, scriptwriting, technical skills and new media knowledge. He anticipates completion of his PhD in media and communication from the University of Vienna, Austria. Mirkovic earned a BA from The Academy of Art Braća Karić  in Belgrade and an MA in media practice from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.