Awake and Arise

The Duquesne Choirs are performing Awake and Arise at The Church of the Assumption on Saturday, October 24. It's a choral concert that brings together two of the Mary Pappert School of Music's main ensembles: Voices of Spirit and the Pappert Chorale. The program mixes ancient and contemporary repertoire, and it includes a world premiere, so you'll be hearing a piece that hasn't been performed anywhere else.

Voices of Spirit is the school's flagship choral ensemble, directed by Caron Daley since 2015. They recorded their first full-length album in 2023, Wake Up my Spirit, which drew on the Spiritan traditions of the university. The Pappert Chorale is a larger mixed choir that pulls students from across every music degree program at the school, under the direction of Dr. Ethan Murphy since 2025. Both groups are part of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, which traces its roots back to 1926 and is celebrating its centennial this year with a series of concerts, workshops, and guest artists.

These choirs don't just stay on campus. Every Christmas they join the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and Jazz Ensemble for Christmas at Duquesne, the school's largest public performance of the year. They've also played numerous off-campus concerts with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and have toured Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, and Québec. Awake and Arise is one of those off-campus dates, taking the music out of the university and into the city.

The concert is at The Church of the Assumption, 45 N Sprague Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, on Saturday, October 24.