BCU’s Sean Burton Lectures at American Choral Directors National Convention
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Briar Cliff University’s
Sean Burton, DMA, assistant professor of music and director of
choral activities, lectured at the National Convention of
the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) in Oklahoma
City, March 3-7, 2009.
Dr. Burton presented “French Connections:
An Examination of Six Motets by Maurice Duruflé,
Olivier Messiaen, Francis
Poulenc and Pierre Villette.’’
In his lecture, Dr. Burton introduced
and exposed the broader choral community to Pierre Villette's
unaccompanied choral music. He also explored settings of three
familiar sacred texts by celebrated composers Duruflé, Messiaen
and Poulenc in their relationship to French composer Pierre
Villette. Villette’s a cappella choral music is the subject of
Dr. Burton’s doctoral dissertation, which was published under
the title “The Unaccompanied Choral Music of Pierre Villette: A
Conductor's Analysis,’’ (Edwin Mellen Press, 2008).
ACDA is a nonprofit professional organization
of choral directors from schools, colleges and universities;
community, church and professional choral ensembles; and
industry and institutional organizations. Some 4,000 of
its 20,000 members attended the national
convention.
Dr. Burton came to Briar Cliff in 2007. He
holds a master’s degree from Boston University and a doctorate
from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Briar Cliff University
is a Catholic institution with an enrollment of more than 1,100
students from 24 states and four countries. Students are
educated in the Franciscan tradition of excellence in the
liberal arts and career preparation in an environment of care
and compassion. For more information, please visit
briarcliff.edu.
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