Upcoming events at Monmouth College

Chorale's 'home' concert is March 21; reception for children's book authors is March 16

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (03/13/2026) —

After touring, Monmouth College Chorale to present 'home' concert on March 21

The Monmouth College Chorale made a Gulf states swing for this year's spring break, performing in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

At 7:30 p.m. March 21, the Chorale will celebrate their return to campus with the traditional "home" concert of their tour. Free and open to the public, the concert will be held in the Kasch Performance Hall of the college's Dahl Chapel and Auditorium.

Chorale is a 50-voice, highly selective ensemble that performs a wide range of music from the Renaissance to recently composed classical works, and from multicultural music to pop and gospel. The group has toured extensively nationally and internationally, singing in nearly half of the states in the nation, including performances at Carnegie Hall in 2013 and 2018. Internationally, Chorale has traveled in recent years to Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy and Spain.

Monmouth music professor Tim Pahel directs the Chorale and the 18-voice Chamber Choir - a select group of Chorale members - which both performed during the Gulf states tour.

The program for the home concert includes a motet and a madrigal from the Renaissance as well as selections by two 20th-century composers - Arvo Part's mysterious and haunting "Nunc dimittis" and Hrusovsky's fast and frenetic "Rytmus." Multicultural pieces include "Kaisa-Isa Niayn" by Phillipine composer Alcala and "El Almuercero" by Cuban composer Ferrer. Chorale will perform an arrangement of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and will end with what Pahel called "an upbeat and joyous piece with percussion, clapping and stomping" titled "Hope," by Zachary J. Moore.

While on tour, Chorale performed in Huntsville, Ala., Hattiesburg, Miss., and New Orleans.

"Our yearly tours are wonderful experiences for the group," said Pahel. "We work intensely together learning great music and then get to share it multiple times with difference audiences, making it a little bit better in each concert. We have these meaningful musical experiences while traveling together to incredible cities like New Orleans, which almost none of the students have visited before. When we do that while spending time together and becoming more close-knit, we really are making memories that will last a lifetime."

Sisters Eiserman, Simmons to discuss their new children's book on March 16

Mixing equal parts English and art, along with a whole lotta love, has led to the creation of a new children's book for two sisters.

Monmouth College alumni Mary Ann Galusha Eiserman '72 and Cherry Lynn Galusha Simmons '80 - who've retired from careers teaching English and art, respectively - will return to campus to celebrate the publication of their book at 6:30 p.m. March 18 in the Pattee Auditorium on the lower level of the college's Center for Science and Business.

Sponsored by the college's art and education programs and free and open to the public, the event will include a reception and a talk by the sisters about their book, titled I Love You All the Time, So Much Love, All the Time!!

Available on eBay, the book encourages emotional awareness, empathy and positive values in a warm and comforting way to which young readers can easily relate.

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After performing in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana during spring break, the Monmouth College Chorale will present a "home" concert on March 21.

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Sisters Cherry Simmons and Mary Ann Eiserman will discuss their new children's book on March 16 at their collegiate alma mater.

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Monmouth College

Upcoming events at Monmouth College

Chorale's 'home' concert is March 21; reception for children's book authors is March 16

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Monmouth College

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