March 02, 2026
SIU Concert Choir will perform March 5
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Concert Choir will present “Beauty Walks,” an evening of beloved choral works spanning centuries, on Thursday, March 5.
The free, public performance begins at 7 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 303 S. Poplar St., Carbondale.
The concert will feature a range of works from Cristóbal de Morales and Claudio Monteverdi to Anton Bruckner and Coldplay, said Emerson Eads, assistant professor and director of choral studies in the SIU School of Music.
“In a world often marked by division and unrest, ‘Beauty Walks’ invites listeners to pause and reflect on the sustaining beauty that surrounds us,” Eads said. “Through music both ancient and contemporary, the program explores themes of faith, shared humanity, and the natural world, offering moments of stillness, connection, and renewal.”
The concert includes a new a cappella arrangement of the Southern Alma Mater; two U.S. premieres — an arrangement of Coldplay’s “When I Need a Friend” by Dutch choral conductor and composer, Ruben Smits, and an arrangement of the French pop song, ‘Cent Mille Chanson’ by South African conductor and composer André van der Merwe. The concert will include aleatoric elements and choral improvisation. SIU students Harrison Gilberti, a graduate master’s student in music; Abigail Zirkelbach, an undergraduate third-year student in pre-music, and Riley Stephens, an undergraduate third-year student in music, are featured soloists.
The 27-member concert choir will be joined by Carbondale Community High School Choir, under the direction of Katrina Wood. The combined ensembles will conclude the evening with Stephen Paulus’ “Hymn to the Eternal Flame.”