Emily Dickinson poetry comes to life in joint recital and lecture, March 6

Recital:Faculty Recital Series – "Reflections of Divine Mystery in the World" by Susan Dengler, Christine Seitz and Ann Hostetler
Date and time: Friday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Rieth Recital Hall, Goshen College Music Center
Cost: $7 adults, $5 seniors/students. GC students free with valid ID

GOSHEN, Ind. – Two Goshen College professors will examine musical song settings of poems by Emily Dickinson in a special lecture/recital in the Music Center's Rieth Recital Hall on Friday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Assistant Professor of Music Susan Dengler, soprano, and Professor of English Ann Hostetler will present "Reflections of Divine Mystery in the World," which will examine Dickinson's poetry as both prose and musical lyricism. Dengler, with Christine Seitz, assistant professor of music and pianist, will perform settings of Dickinson poetry by Alice Parker, Vincent Persichetti, John Duke and Aaron Copland. Interspersed between the songs, Hostetler will read and briefly lecture on Dickinson, her poetry and her life.

Dengler has served as assistant professor at Goshen College since 1996, and she teaches vocal methods and pedagogy, class voice and applied voice. A soprano, Dengler performs regularly as recitalist and oratorio soloist. She has performed soprano roles in many opera productions including Così fan tutte, Gianni Schicchi and Don Giovanni. She earned a bachelor's degree in music education with advanced standing in vocal performance from West Chester University, where she also did extensive post-graduate work in vocal performance. Her master of music degree in church music with a vocal/choral emphasis is from Valparaiso University. In addition to her work at Goshen College, Dengler serves as minister of music and arts at College Mennonite Church, where she directs CMC Youth Singers and Jubilee Girls Choir. She has also served as guest conductor and clinician for children's choir festivals throughout the East Coast and Midwest. She also served as the director for the 40-voice Children's Choir of Michiana, based in South Bend (Ind.) until 2006.

Hostetler is the author of "Empty Room with Light: Poems" (Pandora Press, 2002). Hostetler also edited an anthology of poetry by Mennonite writers, "A Cappella: Mennonite Voices in Poetry" (University of Iowa Press, 2003). Her poetry has also appeared in "The American Scholar," "Mid-America Poetry Review," "Cream City Review," "Mennonite Life" and other journals. Hostetler received a bachelor's degree from Kenyon College and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a professor of English at Goshen College since 1998 and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University and the University School of Milwaukee.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.