ASU choirs to host area two-year schools for concert with silent auction, Oct. 13

Oct. 6, 2009 -- The Arkansas State University Concert and Chamber choirs will present a fall choral concert on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Fowler Center’s Riceland Hall, and will host performances by choirs and directors from four area two-year colleges. Preceding the concert and during intermission, patrons will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction to support the ASU choir’s March 2010 performance tour to Rome and Florence, Italy. The concert is free and open to the public.

Two-year college choirs and directors participating in the concert include Arkansas Northeastern College Concert Singers, directed by Dr. Andrew Jensen; Arkansas State University- Beebe Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Tim Bartlett; Black River Technical College Kimbrough Choir, directed by Joniece Trammel; and the combined choirs of Three Rivers Community College, directed by Cindy White.

The choirs will each present a few numbers separately and combine to sing two numbers to close the program. Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities at ASU Jonesboro, has been planning this program since last spring. “As a former two-year college choir director, I wanted to reach out to several of the choir directors and choir members from our area. This gives them the chance to perform in our wonderful Riceland Hall, and an opportunity to join with students from other colleges and the university to make music.”

ASU-Jonesboro welcomes a new choral music education faculty member, Kyle Chandler. In addition to teaching choral and secondary education courses, Mr. Chandler is the newly appointed conductor of the ASU Chamber Singers. Mr. Chandler will lead the group in a variety of choral selections, some of which will also be performed in the annual Madrigal Feaste. The Chamber Singers’ repertoire includes “Cantate Domino” by Hans Hassler; “Ave Maria” by Anton Bruckner; “Sing Me to Heaven” by Daniel Gawthrop; “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind” by John Rutter; and a double-chorus work by Giovanni Gabrieli, “Lieto, godea sedendo.”

Dr. Bartlett will direct the ASU-Beebe Chamber Singers in a performance of “Set Me as a Seal” by Rene Clausen and “Libertango” arranged by Escalada. Ms. Trammel will present the BRTC Kimbrough Choir singing “Benedictus” by Brian Lewis and “How Can I Stop Singing My Song?” by Cynthia Gray. The combined choirs of TRCC will be led by Ms. White in three Renaissance selections, “Sing We and Chant It” by Thomas Morley, “Me, Me, and None but Me” by John Dowland, and “Ave Verum Corpus” by William Byrd. Dr. Jensen will conduct the ANC Concert Singers performing “Blow Thou Winter Wind” by Eugene Butler, “The Nightingale” by James M. Stevens, and “The Storm is Passing Over,” arranged by Barbara W. Baker.

Following a brief intermission, Dr. Miller and graduate conducting students Janet Tullos and Patrick Manes will lead the ASU Concert Choir in several selections, some of which will also be performed by the group on their March 2010 tour to Rome and Florence. Their performance will include a double chorus piece by Felix Mendelssohn, “Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe,” conducted by Mr. Manes, to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Ms. Tullos will direct “Sicut Cervus” by Z. Randall Stroope. Dr. Miller will conduct “Stabat Mater” by G. P. da Palestrina, “O Vos Omnes” by Carlo Gesualdo, “Earth Song” by Frank Ticheli, and “I Can Tell the World” by Moses Hogan.

The program will conclude with the combined groups singing Moses Hogan’s arrangement of “Good News, the Chariot’s Comin,” and Peter C. Lutkin’s setting of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” under the director of Dr. Miller.

In addition to the musical presentations, concert-goers will have the opportunity to help support fundraising efforts for the ASU Choir’s performance tour to Italy. There will be a silent auction from 7-7:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall of Fowler Center preceding the concert, and bids will be re-opened during intermission. Patrons will be able to bid on items donated to the choir by area businesses. Proceeds from the auction will go directly to help the singers pay for the tour which will include a performance in the Vatican at St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.

Personnel for the performance and their hometowns include Arkansas State University-Beebe Chamber Singers Dennese Adkins and Adam Winkler of Cabot, Kenneth Ashlin and Andrew Jeffers of Jacksonville, Cassondra Barnes of Judsonia, Danielle Millman of Griffithville, Jacob Moore of Beebe, Lorene Neighbours of Heber Springs, Montana Wallace of Bald Knob, and Terry White of Des Arc.

Also included are Black River Technical College Kimbrough Choir members Luke Hansen of Jonesboro, Jake Cooper and Tiffany Flippo of Walnut Ridge, Victoria Morgan of Maynard, Ben McClellan and Travis Rainbolt of McDougal, Cindy Miller of Hoxie, and Daren Parish, Mary Blankenship, Tawnie Smith, Tiffany Rodgers, Patty Riffel, April Sheffield, Sandy Hudson, Howard Dunn, Dexter Kimbrough, Regina Moore, and Kara Bryant, all of Pocahontas. Their accompanist is Glenda Blasini, also of Pocahontas.

The combined choirs of Three Rivers Community College include Chase Eschrich of Ozark, Ala., and the following Missouri singers: Lydia Bostic of Bloomfield, Becky Hickson and Mason Proffer of Campbell, Brittany Axelson, Jessica Blankenship, Jody Kinder, Rachel Moore, and Rebecca Moore, all of Dexter, Daniel Ederer, Donald Falk, Heather Faries, Stephanie Henning, Chelsea Moore, Silva Oesterreicher, Aaron Smothers, and Alex Stevens, all of Doniphan, Carrie Lizenbee of Dudley, Roxann Tuberville of Ellsinore, Elizebeth Gilbreath of Grandin, Arnon Niyapa of Greenville, Kelly Shaw of Hartville, Sharon Baker of Lowndes, Amber Nelson of Neelyville, Shay Bancroft, Haley Case, Tia Eubanks, Tierra Higgins, Addie Layne, Queen Robinson, Myles Slone, Jazzma Smith, and Kasi Stafford, all of Poplar Bluff, Samantha Copland of Puxico, Ashley Collins of West Plains, and Leevon DeCourley and Nicholas Smith of Zalma.

The Arkansas Northeastern College Concert Singers and their vocal sections are Caity Shelton and Chasadie Holifield of Gosnell, Amy Herrington of Kennett, Mo, Miranda O’Neal of Lake City, Rachel Wilbanks of Osceola, and Kayla Jackson of Manila, sopranos; Shanda Textor and Sephanie McGuire of Manila, Megan Brooks of Keiser, Michelle Grubbs of Caruthersville, Mo., and Dianna Pegues and Rosaline Berry of Gosnell, altos; Ben Bushong of Paragould, Ryan Day of Manila, Tyler Kinkead of Armorel, and Brian Randal and Jard Bland of Lake City, tenors; and Allen Glass of Manila, Joey Courtright of Armorel, and Robert Taylor, Dedrick Gay, Matt Pinkard, and Phillip White, all of Blytheville, basses.

The Chamber Singers of Arkansas State include Angela Jackson of Naylor, Mo., Kari Rickman of Bono, Becky Morrison of Jonesboro, Katie Fischer of Jacksonville, and Renee Porter Smith of Houston, sopranos; Susan Hulett of Mountain Home, Crystal Haralson and Jessica Baldwin of Paragould, and Katherine Richards of Osceola, altos; Jeremy Carter of Paragould, Nick Robbins of Manila, and Christopher Orr of Jonesboro, tenors; and Ray Fromme of Highland, Ill., Patrick Manes of Bryant, Drew Warren of Manila, Kale McDaniel and Brandon Stroud of Jonesboro, basses.

The Arkansas State University Concert Choir members are: Fischer, Haralson, Jackson, Morrison, Rickman, Baldwin, Katie Matney of Trumann, Erin Reagan of Munford, Tenn., and Janet Tullos of Cabot, first sopranos; Renee Smith, Lauren Bridges of Marmaduke, Beth Dial of Malvern, Melissa Jackson of Pine Bluff, Lindsey Lee and Hannah McQuay of Jonesboro, and Kate Smith of Wynne, second sopranos; Richards, Suemone Christian of Bryant, Jordan Farris and Jana Waters of Jonesboro, Paige Harris of Benton, Madison Kuebler of Searcy, Courtney Miller of Pocahontas, and Michele Shotwell of Manila, first altos; Hulett, Megan Bishop and Katie Cole of Paragould, Michelle Byrd of Pine Bluff, Elizabeth Rountree of Hot Springs, Donyelle Spearman of Newport, Lauren Turpin of Trumann, and Miranda Weaver of Rector, second altos; Josh Dennis of Springfield, Mo., Wesley Hooper of Harrisburg, Courtney Hostler and Kyle Plunkett of Pine Bluff, Cody Steele of Paragould, and John Yerger and Craig McAlister of Jonesboro, first tenors; Carter, Orr, Robbins, Willie Sullivan of Jonesboro, and Chris VanBrook of Hoxie, second tenors; Fromme, Stroud, Romero Harper of Wynne, Skyler Mays of Highland, Andrew Pigott of Orlando, Fla., and Taylor Woodruff of Jonesboro, baritones; and Manes, Warren, Gabrien Brown of Newport, Adam Earhart of Bryant, Blake Markum of Paragould, and Drew McCann of West Memphis, basses.

Contact the ASU Choral Office at (870) 972-3841 for more information about the performance or the silent auction.

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