Department of Music presents Concert Choir in Winter Concert, Sunday, Feb. 17

Feb. 7, 2008 -- The Department of Music at Arkansas State University will present the Concert Choir in their  Winter Concert on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. in Fowler Center’s Riceland Hall, 201 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro. The concert is free and open to the public.

To celebrate Black History Month, Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities, has planned a concert which will feature selections of spirituals by American and European composers and other compositions by African-American composers. Selections will include Moses Hogan’s arrangement of “I Got a Robe,” Allen Koepke’s setting of “Wade in de Water,” Anders Paulssen’s edition of “Deep River,” featuring senior vocal music education major Patrick Manes on soprano saxophone, Houston Bright’s composition “Lament of the Enchantress,” conducted by Justin Register, graduate conducting assistant, and Jack Halloran’s arrangement of “Witness.” The choir is accompanied by Priscilla Noyes, graduate piano student.

Two additional groups will be represented on the afternoon program. ASU is hosting the state auditions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, so four ASU vocal soloists will present numbers that they will sing in the auditions later in the month of February. Willie Sullivan will sing the aria “L’alba separa dalla luce l’ombra” by Francesco Paolo Tosti, and Rebecca Craft will perform “The Red Dress,” an art song by Ricky Ian Gordon. Both Sullivan and Craft are students of Matthew Carey, assistant professor of voice. Students representing the studio of Julia Lansford, associate professor of voice, will be Renee Porter and Crystal Stormes. Ms. Porter will sing “A Heart That's Free” by Alfred G. Robyn, and Ms. Stormes will perform “Amorosi miei giorni” by Stefano Donaudy. The students will be accompanied by Joy Sanford, pianist.

The final group of singers on the concert was selected by audition to represent ASU at the Southwestern Division conference of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Feb. 20 - 23. These students are learning eight numbers to perform with other collegiate members of ACDA in Kansas City, and will sing a selection from “Spirit Suite,” by composer Mark Hayes. The ASU singers are Kari Rickman of Jonesboro, Crystal Stormes of Goobertown, Tiffanie Holland of Bryant, Jeanie Clements of Batesville, Justin Register of Huntsville, Ala., Willie Sullivan of Jonesboro, Nick Robbins of Manila, and Patrick Manes of Bryant. All eight of the students are vocal music majors.

Personnel for the ASU Concert Choir include Whitney Tucker of Wynne, Angela Jackson of Naylor, Mo., Pat Register of Huntsville, Ala., Megan Throesch of Pocahontas, Tiffany Mitchell of Springdale, Crystal Haralson of Paragould, and Kari Rickman of Jonesboro, first sopranos; Mollie Black of Benton, Katie Fischer of Jacksonville, Renee Porter of Kingwood, Texas, Crystal Stormes of Goobertown, Amy Darnell of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Katherine Richards of Osceola, Rebecca Craft of Jonesboro, Katie Willeford of El Dorado, and Melissa Jackson of Pine Bluff, second sopranos; Lauren Bridges of Marmaduke, Tiffanie Holland of Bryant, Abby Craft of Jonesboro, Sarah Moore of Dexter, Mo., Summer Duncan of Mountain View, Helen Ward of Little Rock, Jeanie Clements of Batesville, and Lisa Richards of Osceola, first altos; Jessica Crociata of Tampa, Fla., Savanna Hailey of Paragould, Susan Hulett of Mountain Home, Kimberley Toots of Little Rock, Kristyn George of Jonesboro, and Lacey Griggs of Paragould, second altos; Josh Dennis of Springfield, Mo., Michael Coles of Augusta, Rusty Shields of Osceola , Elliott Andrews of Russellville, John Yerger of Jonesboro, and Fletcher Teague of Hamburg, first tenors; Kyle Berry of Austin, Ark., Justin Register of Huntsville, Ala., Dustin Sullivan of Kennett, Mo.,  Craig McAlister and Willie Sullivan of Jonesboro, Jeremy Carter of Paragould, Adam Rigney of Blytheville, and Wesley Hooper of Harrisburg, second tenors; Patrick Manes of Bryant, Derrick Palmer of Brinkley, Nick Robbins of Manila, Skyler Mays of Cherokee Village, Andrew Piggott of Tampa, Fla., Josh Lovett of Hamburg, Mark Parsley of Malvern, and Sam Osborn of Paragould, baritones; Gabrien Brown of Newport, Brandon Stroud and Jarvis Brodie of Jonesboro, Jonathan Trail, and Blake Markum and Jordan Nealy of Paragould, basses.

Please call the Department of Music’s choral music office at (870) 972-3841 for additional information.

 # # #