Ensemble Tours

Ensemble Tours

Chorale 
Directed by Adam Potter

We are going to the Baltics in 2023! Stay tuned for more exciting announcements!

If you are interested in hosting our group, email music@roberts.edu or call 585.594.6101

Wind Ensemble Tour
Directed by Paul Shewan

We are currently in the process of booking venues for upcoming tours!

If you are interested in hosting our group, email music@roberts.edu or call 585.594.6101.

Our Sound

A Little About Us

Bonded by a passion for compelling musical performance and a desire for meaningful Christian fellowship, the talented instrumentalists and singer-artists of the Roberts Wesleyan University Wind Ensemble and Chorale combine their gifts to cultivate excellence in music. These groups represent the well known Department of Music & Performing Arts at Roberts, which is professionally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

Wind Ensemble
Proudly recorded Ron Nelson's Te Deum for chorus and band for commercial recordings on the Albany label. The composer declared it the “definitive recording… a jaw-dropping performance.” The ensemble tours each year with a repertoire of standard wind band literature.

Chorale
This select vocal ensemble recently performed Vivaldi's Gloria, Bach’s Magnificat, Handel's Messiah, and Mozart's Solemn Vespers, Haydn's Little Organ Mass and Te Deum in C, Rutter’s Gloria, and music by Tallis, Palestrina, Telemann, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Bruckner, to name just a few. In addition to concerts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Roberts Wesleyan Orchestra, the Chorale presents several performances in local and regional churches each year.

ensemble

50

talented instrumentalists

ensemble

38

angelic vocal performers

ensemble

Major tour destinations

Boston, Cleveland, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Washington D.C

ensemble

7

majors represented by non-music majors

ensemble

12

total tour stops across the northeast in 2015

Meet the Talent

Adam Potter

Adam Potter

Director of Chorale

This is Adam's first year directing the Roberts Wesleyan Chorale. He has a lot of new and exciting programming planned for the group and looks forward to experiencing his first tour with the students.

music talent

Paul Shewan

Director of Wind Ensemble & Community Orchestra

“When I was a student at Roberts, Wind Ensemble tours were the highpoint of my college experience. I believe that is still true with our current students. It is more than a time for deepening friendships; it is often a life changing experience both musically and spiritually.”

music talent

Monica Ramich '16

Chorale

“Chorale tour was always a highlight of the school year for me, not only because it gave us the opportunity to perform our music for new audiences, but also because of the quality time we got to spend with each other as an ensemble. I have many fond memories of past tours, but what I enjoyed the most was growing closer to my fellow ensemble members as we shared our gift of music with others. It definitely creates a special bond!”

music talent

Joe Finazzo '14

Chorale

“Tour is a great experience for bonding and growing as an ensemble and as a family. You spend a LOT of time together, see a lot of fun things and places, and meet a lot of wonderful families and/or other students and performers. It's a lot of fun for everyone involved, and you learn a lot about the music you're singing and the group you're singing with.”

music talent

Emily Bartz '17

Flute

“Wind Ensemble tour is a highlight of the semester. From board games on the bus to Euchre tournaments or swimming at hotels to sight-seeing and exploring, it is an excellent way to bond with the ensemble family. The concerts are among the most musically gratifying and energized performances I have ever participated in. Tour is a blast!”

music talent

Joshua Meyer ’15

Trumpet

“Tour is a great way to get to know everyone in the ensemble on a deeper level. It's an incredible musical experience, traveling and playing for audiences all around the country. It was always fun and exciting, as well as the highlight of each school year.”

Book Us

We would love to play for you! Book us at your venue!

free

We don’t charge for concerts

We ask venues to consider a donation/offering at the end of the program which is used for promotions and recordings. Ask us about doing  benefit concerts for you!

time

One hour long

Our ensembles prepare an hour of music which we can tailor to fit your venue’s needs. Performances are 30 minutes minimum.

venues

Types of venues we’re looking to serve

Churches, high schools, nursing homes, non-profit organizations, and food banks.

Questions? Contact Rebecca Gartland
Phone: (585) 594-6101
Email: music@roberts.edu

What People Are Saying

“I was very impressed with the Wind Ensemble concert at our school, our student body was entertained and it offered such a great window into performance options that exist past high school. My ensemble really enjoyed working with Dr. Shewan in the clinic and the opportunity to play with the Wind Ensemble during the concert was second to none!”
–Shane Bonney, West Canada Valley CSD

“Our students had a great experience. They were truly inspired. One of our middle school students, who observed a portion of the clinic, said later in the day that "that was the most beautiful thing I have heard in my 12 years of life!"
–Terry Gordon, Mekeel Christian Academy

“As an alumnus of Roberts and a trumpet player, I especially enjoyed having the Roberts Wesleyan Wind Ensemble perform at First Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, NY.  The group continues to perform a wide variety of musical repertoire with excellence.  I was impressed with how Dr. Paul Shewan was able to encourage such a dynamic performance from the students."
–Jonathan Mariano, First Presbyterian Church

“Thank you for the opportunity to host the wind ensemble! They were and are a fine group of young professionals. It was a pure joy to have them perform for us at KSCC. We were very impressed with their behavior. We would be open to have them again."
–Pastor Lee Sweeney, Knapps Station Community Church

The Wind Ensemble was professional in their demeanor and setup. My students enjoyed playing with them and benefitted from experiencing a different director. The school as a whole was both educated and entertained at the concert through the range of selections and through the interaction between the ensemble and the audience.

- Melody Shipley, Christian Central Academy

We had the pleasure to have the Roberts Wesleyan Chorale visit our small town and what a fantastic experience it was! Our community in Frankfort, NY had the pleasure to host The Roberts Chorale at Our Lady Queen of Apostles Church this past spring of 2016. The performance was beyond speculator; the voices filled the church with angelic sounds. With the Roberts Wesleyan Chorale tour coming to our community, not only were we blessed with the performance, but we also had the opportunity to host several students in our home. The other families within our community who also hosted students still rave about how polite and enjoyable the students were. The Roberts musicians were a pure joy! We highly encourage any group or community to consider inviting the Roberts Wesleyan College Chorale to perform in their venue, be it a church, a school, or a nursing home. Under David Chin's leadership, you cannot have a better performance nor experience.

-The Spaman family

“The RWC Wind Ensemble entertained our students with engaging repertoire. The ensemble sounded the best I have heard them and the French horns blew our students away. Dr. Shewan was a blast and was a true entertainer.”
–Joe Stork, Corning-Painted Post High School, Band Director

“Working with the Roberts Wesleyan Chorale was a wonderful experience. From planning and preparation all the way to execution and performance, the chorale was an absolute joy to work with. Directed by David Chin, the students’ performance was exceptional and they engaged really well with the people of our church.”
–Ben Tinsch, North Syracuse Baptist Church

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