Department of Music
to present Gospel Benefit Concert

Jan. 24, 2007--The Department of Music at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will present the Concert Choir and University Singers Men’s and Women’s Choirs in a gospel benefit concert Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of Walnut Street Baptist Church, 1910 Scenic Drive (across the US 63 bypass from Wal-Mart).

The ASU choirs will present gospel and spirituals for male chorus, female chorus, and mixed chorus, as well as solos and small ensembles.

Tickets will be $5.00 each and may be purchased from any ASU choir member. Proceeds will benefit the ASU Choir’s performance tour to Carnegie Hall in January 2008.

The ASU choirs are under the direction of Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities, with assistance by Justin Register, graduate choral conducting student, and accompaniment by Priscilla Noyes and Luca Strazzullo, graduate piano students. 
           
The choral portion of the program will contain two spirituals by the Men’s Choir, “I Hear a Voice a-Prayin” by Houston Bright, and “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” by Nina Gilbert; two spirituals by the Women’s Choir, “This Little Light of Mine” by Ysaye Barnwell, and “Good News” by John Helgen; the choral portion of the program will end with two Moses Hogan spiritual arrangements sung by the Concert Choir, “Elijah Rock,” and “Walk Together Children.” 

Soloists will be taken from the membership of the choirs. Although auditions were ongoing at press time, they currently include ASU junior Michael Coles singing “You Raise Me Up,” senior Cassie Black singing “At the Cross,” and junior Craig McAlister singing “Remember Me.”  A gospel trio consisting of freshmen Whitney Tucker and Stelicia Christian with senior Derrick Palmer will be accompanied by junior Derrick Moore in a performance of “I Don’t Believe He Brought Me This Far to Leave Me.” Palmer will also sing an a cappella arrangement of “The Lord’s Prayer,” and the A-State Gospel Quartet will perform, as well.

The fundraiser concert benefits the choir’s third trip to sing in New York’s historic Carnegie Hall under Dr. Miller’s direction. MidAmerica Productions (MAP) of New York has invited the ASU choirs to return to perform in Carnegie Hall in January 2008. The traveling group will include a community choir of Jonesboro-area singers in the performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem” with the New England Symphonic Ensemble. Norman Dunfee, executive director of MAP, states, “Your performances in March 2000 and March 2004 were both successful concerts in our series, and I’m certain one part of that success was the participation of the Arkansas State University Concert Choir, acting as the foundation of the 175-voice chorus . . . of singers from around the country.” 

Personnel for the choirs include Cassie Black of Searcy, Kristi Freeman of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Whitney Tucker of Wynne, Angela Jackson of Naylor, Mo., Pat Register of Florence, Ala., Tiffany Mitchell of Springdale, Elizabeth Schug of Paragould, Katina Warren of Wynne, and Mandy Walker of White Hall, first sopranos; Mollie Black of Benton, Stelicia Christian of Bryant, Katie Fischer of Jacksonville, Amy Isbell of Jonesboro, Renee Porter of Kingwood, Texas, Crystal Stormes of Goobertown, Casey Wilburn of Lexa, and Katie Willeford of El Dorado, second sopranos; Lauren Bridges of Marmaduke, Summer Duncan of Mountain Home, Brittany Howard and Rebecca Trimm of Paragould, Alix Meacham of Ash Flat, Christy McCarroll of Rose Bud, Sarah Moore of Dexter, Mo., and Abby Craft, Terrica Edmonds, and Mary Hannah Johnson of Jonesboro, first altos; Jessica Crociata of Tampa, Fla., Kristyn George of Jonesboro, Lisa Gray of Brookland, Savanna Hailey of Paragould, Tiffanie Holland of Bryant, Susan Hulett of Mountain Home, Serita Mahone of Forrest City, Ka’Shiea McDaniel of Wynne, and Kimberley Toots of Little Rock, second altos; Maurice Butler of Wynne, Josh Dennis of Springfield, Mo., Galen Perkins of Bartlett, Tenn., Devin Rivas-Martin of Salina, Kan., and Rusty Shields of Osceola , first tenors; Michael Coles of Augusta, Ben Light of West Ridge, Derrick Moore of Forrest City, Justin Register of Huntsville, Ala., Chris Thomas of Earle, Dustin Sullivan of Kennett, Mo., Ryan Williams of Keo, and Craig McAlister, Lance Patterson, and Willie Sullivan, all of Jonesboro, second tenors; Greg Eberhard of Harrisburg, Andrew Kjorlaug of Paragould, Skyler Mays and Douglas Turner of Cherokee Village, Derrick Palmer of Brinkley, Nick Robbins of Manila, Timothy Smith of Wynne, Matt Ryals, John Yerger, and Brandon Stroud, all of Jonesboro, baritones; Gabrien Brown of Newport, Shane Gregory of Jonesboro, Perry Harper and Jonathan Trail of Paragould, Edmond Hampton of Fort Smith, Patrick Manes of Bryant, and Josh Wilcoxson of Kennett, Mo., basses.

For more details or ticket information, please call the ASU Choir office at (870) 972-3841.  Patrons will be given the opportunity to make tax-deductible contributions to the ASU Choir and to purchase “Singing Valentines” to be delivered on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

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