An original musical premiering at EMU’s MainStage Theater this week brings audiences the captivating, never-before-seen story of a Russian poet, nun and saint who saved countless lives during World War II and was killed for it. Created by EMU professors Jerry Holsopple and Justin Poole, “On the Breath of God: The Life of Maria Skobtsova” runs from Friday-Saturday, March 28-29 @ 7 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, April 3-5 @ 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, March 30 @ 2 p.m.

The sweeping drama traces the remarkable life of Skobtsova, played by EMU senior Reah Clymer, from impetuous teen to chain-smoking nun who sheltered refugees and helped many Jews escape Nazi-occupied Paris. Known as “Mother Maria,” she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she was executed.

“You really see the arc to Maria’s life,” Poole said. “By the end of the play, you’re completely invested in who she is, and you see this dramatic transformation she goes through.”

The fourth collaboration between Holsopple and Poole, “On the Breath of God” brings together a multigenerational cast and crew of EMU students, alumni, faculty/staff and community members. The musical features a chorus of four women mystics from history, singing lyrics taken directly from their texts to Celtic folk melodies, performed by musicians Perry Blosser ’18 (violin), Benjamin Brantley (guitar), and Dirk Holsopple ’10 (Uilleann pipes). These mystics, played by students Elie Hoover and Erin Batten and alumnae Caitlin Holsapple ’16 and Elizabeth Eby ’22, surround Skobtsova during pivotal moments in her life. Though invisible to her, they influence her decisions through their words.

“Celtic music is able to hold trauma and hope together,” Holsopple said. “That’s what this story is. It’s the story of a woman who endured all kinds of trauma and never lost the ability to have hope and keep doing what she believed was right, up until the very end.”

Clymer delivers a masterful performance as Skobtsova, pouring her soul into the multifaceted character, capturing her playfulness, fierceness and suffering. “Mother Maria lived a tough life,” Clymer said. “She lost two daughters, went through two divorces, lived through war and displacement and deportation, and was thrown in jail multiple times. I’ve had to go there, emotionally, in every rehearsal.”

The set design is minimalist yet imaginative. Backlit stained glass panels form the backdrop, paired with an animated collage of photos projected onto two screens. While most characters in the play wear neutral-toned, period-specific clothing, with Skobtsova dressed in a Russian Orthodox nun’s habit, the mystics don flowing robes accented with pops of color. Frequent EMU Theatre collaborator Rachel Herrick returns as costume designer. Rounding out the crew are Shannon Dove (technical director and set design), Robert Weaver (light designer), Tom Carr (sound technician), and Sarah Peak (stage manager), among others.

Despite the play’s early- to mid-20th century setting, Clymer said its themes are just as relevant today. “This story is so timely,” she said. “It’s about immigration. It’s about refugees. It’s about war and political turmoil.”

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children 18 and under, and $6 for university students. For tickets, visit:

Read a preview of the play from the Daily News-Record .

Cast

Liz “Maria” Skobtsova – Reah Clymer
Sophia – Melody Wilson
Jura/Sailor – Ross Haun
Alexander Blok/Captain/Father Dimitri – Adam Hoover
Dmitri/Daniil/Peters – Joe Seitz
Father/Metropolitan – Shannon Dove
Evgenia/Klara – Kay Pettus 
Ana/Ida – Alexis Lewis
Gardener/Father Kern/SS Officer – Nathanael Eby
Lyuba/Nun at Lourmel House/Inna – Cassidy Walker
Nun/Irena – Emilee White
Therese of Lisieux/Hildegard of Bingen – Elie Hoover
Hadewijch of Flanders – Elizabeth Eby
Mechthild of Magdeburg – Caitlyn Holsapple 
Julian of Norwich/Theresa of Avila – Erin Batten
Young Liz/Giana – Vienna Poole
Young Giana/Nastia – Felicity Poole

Crew

Co-creator – Justin Poole
Co-creator – Jerry Holsopple
Costume designer – Rachel Herrick
Technical Director/Set Design – Shannon Dove
Light Designer – Robert Weaver 
Sound Technician – Tom Carr
Stage Manager – Sarah Peak
Assistant Stage Manager – Jordyn Thompson 
Video Production Assistant – Zack Furr
Video Production Assistant – Oslyn Mejia Gomez
Cast and Crew Photographer/Video Production Assistant – Cassidy Walker
Video Production Assistant – Willem Hedrick 
Video Production Assistant – Allie Watkins

Musicians

Violin – Perry Blosser
Guitar – Benjamin Brantley
Irish Pipes – Dirk Holsopple

“We came out and we owned that stage,” said EMU sophomore Ciela Acosta, an alto in the choir. “The energy in that room was palpable.”

EMU senior Reah Clymer, a soprano whose grandmother lives at the community, recounted “lots of clapping, lots of smiles and lots of tears and dancing” at the concert. “It was packed,” she said. “They had to bring in a couch from the outside foyer for my grandma because the entire chapel was full.”

Students in the auditioned touring chamber choir estimated that well over 100 people attended the Tuesday evening show, where they were joined by the Lancaster Mennonite High School choir. It was one of about a dozen performances throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia by the Chamber Singers during its spring break tour from March 1-6. Twenty-two members of the choir sang songs of hope and unity, the theme of the tour, at four churches, four high schools, a music learning center, and the aforementioned senior living community.

EMU junior Eli Stoll, who sings bass in Chamber Singers, said that the performance at Landis Homes “definitely felt like the concert where we made the best sound and had the most fun as a group.”

Part of the excitement of that show stemmed from just how many close ties there were to EMU. Acosta said that at the beginning of the concert, Chamber Singers Director Dr. Benjamin Bergey asked for a show of hands from those who had either attended EMU or had a child attend. “Almost every single person in that room raised their hand,” she said. “Seeing that gave me chills.” 

EMU junior Hollyn Miller, a soprano from Lancaster whose family and friends were in attendance, said a special moment for her on the tour was performing for her home church, Blossom Hill Mennonite Church. “I had sung a few times at the church,” she said, “and so a lot of people were excited to have us there.”

Another favorite stop for students on the tour was Nations Worship Center, a large Mennonite church in Philadelphia. Because their visit was on a Sunday morning, members of the choir got the opportunity to worship with the Indonesian Mennonite congregation and join together in a meal. EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman delivered the sermon, which was translated into Indonesian.

When Bergey began introducing the choir in what seemed to be near-fluent Indonesian, the group of students was caught off-guard. “We were so thrown off by that,” Miller said, “because he didn’t tell us he was going to do that.” 

Clymer agreed. “All of us were looking around at each other,” she said. “I was watching the crowd, and you could tell they were surprised and loving it.”

The tour included several encore performances. It was during these moments the Chamber Singers would sing “Avulekile Amasango,” a song that Clymer and alto Emma Nord brought back from their spring 2023 intercultural in South Africa. “We loved it so much that we took it on tour with us,” Clymer said.

The annual spring break tour offers a time for the singers to build camaraderie and learn to put the needs of the group first. The intensive nature of the tour, with a concert or two scheduled nearly every day, also helps them hone their craft. “Their sound, blend and performances greatly improved from this tour,” Bergey said. “And we received more feedback than usual at how outstanding this particular group sounds.”

Not all of the choir’s performances were listed in the program. Acosta, who is in her first semester with the group, said one of her favorite memories from the trip came from a hotel pool in Charlottesville. The students, enjoying some downtime in the pool, stood together in a circle and started belting out tunes from their repertoire. “That brought me so much joy,” she said, “and the acoustics were so good in there.”

Stoll said this is the biggest Chamber Singers group in his three semesters with the choir. He had been nervous about touring with such a large group, but those fears quickly evaporated when they began performing together. “I was surprised and pleased with how much fun we had, how much laughter there was, and how much we gelled as a group,” he said. “That’s made me even more excited about Europe.”

Choir members said the experience was useful in preparing them for their tour through Europe this summer, from May 14-31. The Chamber Singers was selected as the group to represent North America at Mennonite World Conference for its 500th anniversary of Anabaptism in Zurich, Switzerland, on May 29. The choir will perform many of the same songs from the spring tour, along with some additions.  are gratefully accepted toward their travel expenses.

In addition to performing with the Lancaster Mennonite High School choir, the Chamber Singers sang with the Dock Mennonite Academy choir at Souderton Mennonite Church. The Chamber Singers performed at the two Pennsylvania schools and at Charlottesville and Rocktown high schools. 

Bergey said they reached scores of prospective students during the high school visits, connected with important alumni, donors and communities, and “spread not only the message of hope and unity, but also the value of an EMU education.”

Mezzo-soprano Reah Clymer and clarinetist Luke Haynes saw their years of hard work and countless hours of practice pay off on Monday when they were named winners of the 2024 Concerto/Aria Competition.

As part of the distinction, the two students earned coveted spots to perform with the EMU Orchestra during its spring Concert/Aria Orchestra Concert on Saturday, April 20, at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium.

Which pieces of music did you choose?

Clymer, a junior from Collinsville, Mississippi, studying music and peacebuilding, sang “Batti, Batti o bel Masetto” from Mozart’s Don Giovanni.  

“This aria is an incredibly entertaining song, and I really enjoyed the process of learning it,” said Clymer, who studies under voice teacher Shannon Kiser. “A lot is packed into this aria, and it stretches me through its demanding range, repetitive arpeggios, high vocal runs, and long, lyrical phrases. I love how this song is both technically and narratively rich.”

Haynes, a senior from Staunton, Virginia, studying music performance, played Carl Maria Von Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73. He said the selection showcases his legato phrasing, while the technical passages highlight his finger agility.

What was running through your mind when you found out you had won?

Clymer said she felt “immense gratitude” for the music department faculty and music students who supported her and pushed her to perform at her best.

“Our department is terrifically talented, and I am a better musician and person because of my friends and professors there,” she said.

When Haynes heard he had won, a flurry of emotions ran through his head.

“I was shocked, happy and mystified, all at the same time, when I heard my name and realized I had won,” he said. “I was speechless. As a musician, winning this competition means that I am putting in the right work and getting amazing and special opportunities like performing with the orchestra that help me grow as a more well-rounded musician.”

How will you be preparing for April’s concert?

Clymer said she will be rehearsing with the EMU Orchestra as they learn the music for her aria.

“I am looking forward to spending time with the entire ensemble and being just one part of a tremendous night of music,” she said.

Haynes said he’ll practice with his teacher Dr. Šarūnas Jankauskas, associate professor of clarinet at JMU, as he works on memorizing his piece.

Clymer and Haynes were selected from six musicians who performed on Monday. Diane Phoenix-Neal, associate professor of viola at JMU, and Jeanette Zyko, associate professor of oboe at JMU, served as guest adjudicators for the program. Harold Bailey, an adjunct faculty member in the Preparatory Music Program, was collaborative pianist.

Mezzo-soprano Maggie McClary, who performed “V’adoro Pupille” from Handel’s Guilio Caesare, was named runner-up.

Watch a video recording of the competition on the EMU Department of Music .

So, when members of the EMU Chamber Singers and orchestra strings got the chance to perform with noted artist Hezekiah Walker on Sunday, the experience is one they will likely never forget.

The Grammy Award-winning singer, whose in Richmond hosted the event, led both EMU and VUU choirs as vocalist for the song “I Need You to Survive.”

Walker said on Thursday he was still fielding phone calls from people who were disappointed to miss the show. 

“It was a major success,” he said. “People are still talking about it.”

For Jacob Nissley, a Chamber Singers tenor studying music education, watching Walker sing brought back memories. He was reminded of his time in Canton, Ohio, singing gospel hymns at the Baptist church down the street from his home church.

“That guy can sing,” Nissley said about Walker. “He can belt out all the notes.”

Soprano Reah Clymer, of Collinsville, Mississippi, also remarked on the experience.

“He was incredible,” she said. “It was great to work with him.”

Their song together served as the finale for a concert lasting more than three hours that featured prominent gospel artists Crystal Aikin, Jermaine Dolly and Group Fire. A live recording of the show will be submitted for consideration in the Grammy Awards’ special event category. 

Not only was this the first time VUU has recorded a live performance, but also the first time Walker has performed with the choir for its homecoming gospel concert. He said he intends to shine a light on the two talented choirs. 

“I felt like the world needs to hear what comes out of Virginia,” he said. 

Walker added that as he watched the Chamber Singers during the concert, it was clear that they were well-prepared.

“I was amazed by the looks on their faces,” he said. “They knew the words, they knew the lyrics.”

Using music to connect

As a student majoring in music and peacebuilding, Clymer said she’s learned to use music as a form of connection across differences and cultures.

While EMU and VUU are both faith-based liberal arts institutions with strong music programs, the two schools have contrasting racial demographics and musical heritages. 

EMU has a mostly white student body and VUU is a historically Black university. Traditionally, Mennonites sing in four-part harmony and don’t dance or move around as much when they perform, Clymer said.

But, as the choirs sang “I Need You to Survive,” rows of them linked arms and swayed back and forth. 

“It was a cool breaking of that barrier to wrap our arms around each other and move a bit during that song,” Clymer said. “It’s a song about coming together, so it was a good tangible manifestation of that.”

That scene also left a powerful impression on Nissley.

“It was just a really good experience on stage, just being able to look at each other and sing the words to each other,” he said. 

Walker said the EMU singers and musicians were invited to build unity. He emphasized the importance of collaboration across different cultures and races.

“There are groups that are fighting, there are backgrounds that are fighting, but then there’s another group of people,” he said. “We come from different backgrounds but we’re not fighting, we’re loving on each other.”

Clymer said one of her favorite memories from the trip was seeing Chamber Singers Director Benjamin Bergey and VUU Gospel Choir Director Joel Lester hug at the end of their performance together.

“Just to see them embracing each other like brothers, that image is imprinted in my mind,” she said. “That was a really sweet moment.”

A partnership in peace

Plans for the event came together last year when a board member of VUU and the Commonwealth Alliance of Rural Colleges — of which EMU is a member — approached the EMU and VUU presidents and proposed the idea of a joint music concert.  

Bergey said the 18-student choir received its invitation about a month prior and worked quickly to prepare for the show. He wrote the orchestra part for their nine strings musicians. And the EMU and VUU ensembles rehearsed their song together just before the start of the concert on Sunday. 

Those in attendance included President Susan Schultz Huxman; Executive Advisor Amy Springer Hartsell; Dan Ott, dean of the School of Theology, Humanities and Performing Arts; Shannon Dycus, vice president of student affairs and dean of students; Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed; and Music Program Director David Berry.

Huxman has said details are being worked out for EMU to host the VUU Gospel Choir in Harrisonburg next year for a concert.

Clymer welcomed the continued partnership between the schools.

“It would be really cool to see some of the same people again and to bring something like that to Harrisonburg,” she said. “It would be a real gift to the community here.”