Public Invited to Houghton College Choir Concert on Palm Sunday [VIDEO]

will host the Houghton College Choir during the Church’s Palm Sunday Services tomorrow, April 1 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The public is invited.

The Western New York choir is making a stop as part of its 2012 “Awaken My Heart with Gladness Tour."

The church's Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd is an alumni of Houghton College.

“We are so blessed to have this critically acclaimed Houghton College Choir come to worship with us. GFCC and Houghton College are coming together from two different musical backgrounds for what is sure to be an uplifting concert," said Lloyd in a press release. "While Houghton is rooted in the A capella tradition, GFCC is largely based in the gospel music tradition, so we look forward to bringing both traditions together on Palm Sunday.”

For 80 years the Houghton College Choir has committed itself to world-class performances rooted in the sacred a cappella tradition. Widely acclaimed for its artistry and sensitivity, the Houghton College Choir upholds the sacred a cappella choral tradition of its origins, flexibly embracing diversity of all styles. Whether performing a renaissance mass setting, baroque motet or an African American spiritual, the choir delights in well-crafted sacred choral music. Dr. Rene Clausen of the Concordia Choir said that the choir “…projects the spirit of dedication to excellence in the choral art, firmly rooted in spiritual expression.”

Since its inception in 1931, the Houghton College Choir has performed throughout the United States and Europe. At home in America’s most prestigious concerts halls and churches of all denominations, the choir has performed to in a variety of concert venues upholding its mission.

Additionally, the choir has performed in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Spain and the former Soviet Union.