October 10, 2006 - The Department of Music at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will present the ASU Concert Choir and Chamber Singers in concert Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fowler Center, Riceland Hall. The ASU choirs will welcome the choirs of Three Rivers Community College as special guests and will join them in a finale presentation of the Peter Wilhousky arrangement of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

The ASU Concert Choir and Chamber Singers are under the direction of Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities. The concert is free and open to the public.

Musical selections for the Concert Choir include "The Star Spangled Banner" arranged by Lloyd Pfautsch , "Herr auf dich traue ich" by Heinrich Schuetz directed by ASU graduate conducting assistant Justin Register, "Sleep" by Eric Whitacre, "Walk Together Children" by Moses Hogan, and two 20th century works, the first by Egil Hovland entitled "Saul," and the second by John Rutter entitled "O Clap Your Hands," both of which will be accompanied on the new Rogers organ by ASU alumna and former adjunct faculty member Ellen Philpot.

As a final celebration of the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Mozart’s birth the choir will present "Regina Coeli." The Mozart piece will be accompanied by ASU graduate piano performance and pedagogy student Priscilla Noyes, and will feature soloists from the Concert Choir.

The Chamber Singers will be performing several selections from the Renaissance and one recent arrangement. From 16th century England, the ensemble will sing "Let Go Why do You Stay Me?" by John Bennett and "Hark! All Ye Lovely Saints Above" by Thomas Weelkes. Italian madrigals "Io ti voria" by Orlando di Lasso, and "Occhi del mio cor vita" by the nobleman Carlo Gesualdo will also be performed. Justin Register, a graduate student, will conduct the Gesualdo madrigal. The final piece by the Chamber Singers will be a contemporary Christmas setting by Eleanor Daley, "The World’s Desire."

Special guests for the concert are the two choirs from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., the Collegiate Choir with open enrollment and the select Swingsations. Both ensembles are under the direction of Cindy J. White. Mrs. White is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Music Education in Vocal Music, a Bachelor of Music in Oboe Performance and a Master of Arts in Teaching. This is her 22nd year of teaching at Three Rivers Community College. The TRCC groups will perform the following selections: Consecrate the Place Day by Lloyd Pfautsch, That Ever I Saw by Darmon Meador, Bonse Aba, a traditional Zambian song arranged by Andrew Fischer, and What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor? a traditional Sea Chantey arranged by David Eddleman. The TRCC choirs will also be accompanied by Ms. Noyes, a TRCC graduate and former accompanist for the groups.

Personnel for the TRCC Collegiate Choir include Jessica Bippus of Corning, AR, Danielle Cooper of Malden, Mo., Elizabeth Gilbreath and Brittany Sheffield of Fisk, Mo., Samantha Jolly of Marston, Mo., Sharina Kershaw of Portageville, Mo., Jordy LaChance of Ellington, Mo., Amy Spratt of Dexter, and Amy Darnell, Tierra Higgins and Kasi Stafford of Poplar Bluff, sopranos; Keshia Berrong and Jo-el Loyal of Doniphan, Mo., Andrea Berry of Summersville, Mo., Jasmine Jones of Caruthersville, Mo., Candace Lewis of Broseley, Mo., Crystal Brooks of Neeleyville, Mo., Amanda Mayberry of Cherryvale, KS, Rachel McDowell of Risco, Mo., Cherelle Rogers of Poplar Bluff, Meagan McKay and Beth Shaffer of Dexter, Mo., and Magen Reeves of Kennett, Mo., altos; B.J. Clinton of Ellington, Mo., Brad Graham of Marston, Kenny Johnson of Kennett, Kenrick Nobles of Poplar Bluff, and Jeremy Scott of Parma, Mo., tenors; and Andrew Boone of Dexter, C. J. Medley of Portageville, and Robert Monroe of Poplar Bluff, basses.

Personnel for the TRCC Swingsations include Amy Darnell, Samantha Jolly, Jordy LaCance, Brittney Sheffield, and Kasi Stafford, sopranos; Keshia Berrong, Andrea Berry, Jo-el Loyal, Amanda Mayberry, Rachel McDowell, Megan McKay, and Beth Shaffer, altos; Kenny Johnson, and Jeremy Scott, tenors, and Andrew Boone, C.J. Medley, and Robert Monroe, basses.

Personnel for the ASU Concert Choir include Cassie Black of Searcy, Kristi Freeman of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Whitney Tucker of Wynne, Angela Jackson of Naylor, Mo., Pat Register of Huntsville, AL, Elizabeth Schug of Paragould, Jamie Thompson of Rison, Jasmine Walker of Memphis, Tenn., and Mandy Walker of White Hall, first sopranos;

Mollie Black of Benton, Stelicia Christian of Bryant, Katie Fischer of Jacksonville, Sara Langley of White Hall, Renee Porter of Kingwood, Tex., Crystal Stormes of Goobertown, Casey Wilburn of Lexa, and Katie Willeford of El Dorado, second sopranos; Lauren Bridges of Marmaduke, Meagan Duncan of Searcy, Tiffanie Holland of Bryant, Brittany Howard of Paragould, Alix Meacham of Ash Flat, and Abby Craft and Danyelle Schreck of Jonesboro, first altos; Kortney Asbury of Benton, Jessica Crociata of Tampa, Fla., Lisa Gray of Brookland, Savanna Hailey of Paragould, Susan Hulett of Mountain Home, Serita Mahone of Forrest City, Tiffany Mosely of Bryant, 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., Marc Sexton of Jonesboro, 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., and Chris Terrell of Jonesboro, second tenors; Greg Eberhard of Harrisburg, Andrew Kjorlaug of Paragould, Patrick Manes of Bryant, Derrick Palmer of Brinkley, Nick Robbins of Manila, Timothy Smith of Wynne, Jon Stevenson of North Little Rock, Brandon Stroud of Jonesboro, and Keith Westbrook of Benton, baritones; Gabrien Brown of Newport, Michael Davis of Jonesboro, Perry Harper and Jonathan Trail of Paragould, Edmond Hampton of Fort Smith, Ewald Kirschner of Vienna, Austria, and Josh Wilcoxson of Kennett, Mo., basses.

Personnel for the Chamber Singers include Cassie Black, Pat Register, Elizabeth Schug, Jamie Thompson, and Mandy Walker, sopranos; Jessica Crociata, Megan Duncan, Tiffanie Holland, and Crystal Stormes, altos; Devin Rivas-Martin, Justin Register, Nick Robbins, and Rusty Shields, tenors; Edmond Hampton, Derrick Palmer, Jon Stevenson, and Josh Wilcoxson, basses.

For more details, please call the Department of Music at (870) 972-2094.