March 28, 2007 -- The choirs of Arkansas State University will present their Spring Choral Concert, Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Fowler Center’s Riceland Hall. The final home concert of the academic year will feature all three of the choirs at ASU, will allow patrons to participate in a silent auction, and will involve several senior music student conductors.

Conductors for this event include Edmond Hampton and Andrew Kjorlaug, who will direct one number each with the University Singers Men’s Choir, Cassie Black and Crystal Stormes, who will direct one number each with the University Singers Women’s Choir, and Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities at ASU. Stormes, Hampton, and Black are all senior vocal music education majors who will do their teaching internships next year, and Kjorlaug is a graduating senior vocal performance major.

Luca Strazzullo, graduate piano major from Naples, Italy, and Priscilla Noyes, graduate piano major from Dexter, Mo., will accompany the choirs. 

The silent auction begins at 6:30 p.m. and benefits the ASU choir’s fundraising efforts to return to sing in New York’s famed Carnegie Hall in January 2008. This will be the third trip by the group to one of the premier concert halls in the world. Dr. Miller will direct the University Singers, a community chorus of alumni and friends from the Jonesboro area, choirs from Arkansas and Texas, and the New England Symphonic Ensemble in the January 13 concert of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem.” Anyone interested in participating in the community/alumni chorus or in donating items for the silent auction may contact the ASU Choral Office at 870-972-3841.

The Concert Choir will begin the program with the singing of Lloyd Pfautsch’s setting of the “Star-spangled Banner,” which will be followed by the Women’s Choir performance of “Lift Thine Eyes” from “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn. The women will then sing “Sanctus” by William Byrd, “My Johnny’s a Soldier” arranged by Catherine Bennett and conducted by Stormes, “My True Love Hath My Heart” by John Rutter, conducted by Black, and Russ Robinson’s arrangement of “Over the Rainbow.”

The Men's Choir will follow with a performance of “Ave Maria” by Anton Bruckner and conducted by Kjorlaug, “Absolve Domine” by Peter Cornelius, a barbershop ballad, “Hushabye Mountain,” and “Manly Men,” conducted by Hampton. The Men’s and Women’s choirs combine ot form the University Singers, and they will end their portion of the program with a setting by Johnnie Carl titled “A Song of Peace,” based on the tune of Sibelius’ “Finlandia.”

Following a brief intermission, the Concert Choir will sing a preview performance of selections from “Elijah.” Soloists will be selected from the choir. On Saturday, April 14, the Concert Choir will join the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for a presentation of the complete work at Cannon Center for the Arts in Memphis. Specially priced tickets may be purchased by e-mail at groups@memphissymphony.org  or by calling (901) 537-2521 by April 6.

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, Tiffanie Holland of Bryant, 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, 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, AL,  Dustin Sullivan of Kennett, Mo., Ryan Williams of Keo, and Craig McAlister, Lance Patterson, Willie Sullivan, Matt Vardell and Lance Yerger 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 and Brandon Stroud of Jonesboro, baritones; Gabrien Brown of Newport, Shane Gregory of Jonesboro, Perry Harper, and Jonathan Trail of Paragould, Edmond Hampton of Fort Smith, and Patrick Manes of Bryant, basses.

The concert is free and open to the public. Please call the choir office, (870) 973-3841 for further information.

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