Alma College Choir On Tour | West Church

The Alma College Choir are on tour throughout Ireland. This senior choir from the Alma College campus in Michigan is the primary touring choir in the college’s choral program.
On Tuesday, 10th May 2016, the inspiring Alma College Choir plan to visit West Presbyterian Church, Ballymena as part of their latest overseas tour – the concert starting at 8.00pm.

Alma College Choir On Tour | West Church

The concert will be particularly special for Rev. Jared Stephens, a former student at Alma College and member of the Choir, who is currently Assistant Minister at the Ballymoney Road congregation.

Anticipating a most memorable evening, Jared said: “I have always been proud to have been a member of the Alma College Choir, and it is truly a delight to be able to welcome this excellent group of musicians to West Church here in Ballymena.”
“Even though I am unashamedly biased in my opinions of Alma College in general, no one I know who has heard them sing has ever been disappointed. I am truly excited to be able to host them on their 2016 Ireland tour and can’t wait to be able to hear them sing and spend some time with these talented students”, he smiled.
Commenting exclusively for The Church Page, Dr. Wilson Nichols, who conducts the choir said: “The Alma College Choir comes to Ballymena from the State of Michigan in the Great Lakes region of the U.S.A. All of the singers are university students between the age of 19 and 22, and are preparing for careers in the sciences, business, the ministry, education and public service.”

Alma College Choir on tour | West Church

“Concert tours give the singers a chance to make new friends around the world and develop a deeper appreciation for the way each local congregation and community — with your similarities to, and difference from, our own — contribute to this wonderful world we share”, he added.
Dr. Nichols went on to say: “The 80-minute concert will include a wide variety of music, sacred and secular, from classics to Spirituals, Gospel to American and Irish folk songs.
Many of the singers come from the small cities and towns of the State of Michigan but, like Rev. Jared Stephens (of whom we are very proud), their Alma College experience propels them to careers across the globe.”
No admission will be charged to this inspiring evening, which gets underway at 8.00pm. A number of the choir’s CDs will be available to purchase on the night.

The Alma College Choir tour of Ireland continues with performances in the following towns & cities:

  • 1st Presbyterian Church, Cookstown, Northern Ireland at 8.00pm on 11th May
  • Ashford Castle 2.00pm on 12th May
  • Kylemoor Abbey at 1.00pm on 12th May
  • St. Nicholas Church in Galway at 8.00pm on 13th May
  • 1st Presbyterian Church in Dun Laoghaire at 8.00pm on 16th May
  • Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin at 1.00pm on 17th May

For more information on The Alma Choir, log on to their website here.  To discover more about the activities at West Presbyterian Church Ballymena, check out their website here.