p>
“A Jocular Journey,” music on the lighter side, will be the theme of a Music Department concert at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 31. The Bel Canto Singers, Hesston College Chorale, and Wind Ensemble will be featured in the concert at Hesston Mennonite Church.

The concert, free and open to the public, is presented by the Music Department and the Alumni Office. So Hesston College alumni and friends are especially invited to attend. A reception will follow the concert.

Bradley Kauffman, chair of the Music Department, as well as director of the Bel Canto Singers and the Wind Ensemble, explained the event. “We spend most of our time throughout the year working on more serious material and thought it would be fun to explore some works that have a sense of humor,” he said. “A good ensemble laughs together as a matter of routine. We want to bring some of the fun that happens in rehearsal to the stage and present something a little different.”

According to Kauffman, Bel Canto’s repertoire will feature some of their more standard fare, but about two-thirds of the music will be lighter or intentionally humorous. The lighter side will come through especially strong with a set of satirical love songs.

Meanwhile, the Wind Ensemble will present a wide range of selections, including some jazz tunes, in addition to a piece by Mozart.

Ken Rodgers, director of the Hesston College Chorale, said two of the lighter side pieces will include the Banquet Fugue by John Rutter, a humorous song about eating, and a madrigal titled “Since I Saw Your Face” by 17th-century composer Thomas Ford.

Bel Canto and Chorale will combine to sing a piece by musical satirist P.D.Q. Bach. The composer adapts a famous poem by Christopher Marlowe, resulting in the song, “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.”

Faculty members Matthew Schloneger and Anthony Brown will also perform in the program.