Wine and Roses concert opens choral music season at Lake Michigan College

The Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department presents its opening choral concert, Wine and Roses, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Hanson Theatre of Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center on the Benton Harbor Campus.

The event will feature the sounds of LMC Soundwaves and wine tastings from the College’s campus winery, Lake Michigan Vintners, all in a casual atmosphere. Each collection of rose-themed songs will be paired with a red or white wine tasting. Campus winemaker Timothy Godfrey will explain the winemaking process and “notes” of flavor for each wine.

LMC Soundwaves is under the direction of Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge. This dynamic student ensemble frequently performs in concert each semester. The selections performed are drawn from the standard choral repertoire and include madrigals, motets, folk songs, spirituals, and jazz. Ensemble membership is comprised of LMC students by audition. 

Admission is free. For more information, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/arts, email mmccaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call 269-927-8876.

About the Director

Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge, soprano, holds a Bachelor of Music in Choral Education from Western Michigan University, a Master of Arts from the University of South Florida, and a Certificate of Musical Theatre Performance from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She is a Music Lecturer at Lake Michigan College.

She has performed with various ensembles including Lake Effect Jazz Big Band under Steven Reed, Gold Company under Dr. Steve Zegree, WMU Chorale under Dr. James Bass, and VOICES LMC, as well as regional and local theatre productions such as Sandy in “Grease!,” Mother in SMSO's “Ragtime,” and Penelope Pennywise in “Urinetown.” She has been the musical director for Twin City Player's “Sound of Music,” Children's Music Workshop's production of “Hairspray,” and CMW TeenStock's summer musical productions including “Les Misérables” and “Spamalot;” and directed “Xanadu.”

Derbas-Selvidge has performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators conference in Toronto and has appeared on several albums including WMU Gold Company's “Who Could Ask for Anything More” and “30,” Tim Hauser's “Love Stories,” and “Ditties for Kiddies,” a benefit CD for Little Kids Rock. She was writer/producer/performer for “A Woman's World Cabaret” at Danny's Skylight in New York City and performed at venues such as The Cutting Room, The Triad, and Studio One in New York City. Derbas-Selvidge was co-singer/songwriter for the band Stoney End, a backup singer for Erin Hill Band, and a founding member of the Three Divas of Southwest Michigan with Carrie VanDenburgh and Katherine Rohwer.

Derbas-Selvidge is a proud alum of the Lake Michigan College music department where she received the Steven Sizer Vocal scholarship, received the Outstanding Musician of the Year award, and met her husband, Alan. She is mom to their son, Jack, and their family dog, Ginger.