Renowned vocal groups to perform at Trinity, Rhymes With Orange to open

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Audio Radiance, as well as First Take, an award-winning vocal jazz ensemble from The School for Music Vocations in Creston, will present a concert on Monday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City.

Opening the concert will be members of Charles City’s High School vocal music group “Rhymes with Orange,” directed by Derek Sturtevant. The concert is free to the public, courtesy of the Virginia Zastrow Smith Endowment.

Audio Radiance is a five-member ensemble directed by Tobi Crawford and First Take is a seven-member ensemble directed by Grammy-nominated Dr. Jeremy Fox. The latter has won multiple awards from Downbeat Magazine for best vocal jazz ensemble in the United States in the community college category.

The School for Music Vocations vocal ensembles will sing pieces written by Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Oliver Nelson, Bill Withers, Jacob Collier and from the Great American Songbook. Arrangements they sing are written by their individual directors and other esteemed writers such as Phil Mattson, The Real Group, Tommy Boynton, Take 6 and more.

The two ensembles recently sang at Noce Jazz Club in Des Moines and annually headline the SMV Vocal Jazz Festival in Creston.

For more information contact Derek Sturtevant, Director of Choral Activities at Charles City High School.