Choral Activities - News
OBU Concert Choir to perform Elijah
The Ouachita Baptist University Concert Choir will perform Felix Mendelssohn’s renowned oratorio Elijah on Thursday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the McBeth Recital Hall on the campus of OBU. The 120-voice chorus is conducted by Dr. Gary Gerber, Director of Choral Activities at OBU.
Elijah is regarded as second only to Handel’s Messiah in popularity and respect among the musical public. After its first performance in 1846, it quickly gained acceptance among the musical world as one of the greatest oratorios ever composed. Since 1846, Elijah has been performed thousands of times by choruses around the world.
“Our students have enjoyed learning this music,” Dr. Gerber noted. “This work is a dramatic piece in which the chorus portrays the gamut of emotions from the priests of Baal, to the voice of God, to scenes of fire and earthquakes.”
Singing the role of Elijah will be Stephen Ray, a senior vocal performance major from Sherwood, Ark. Ray was recently selected as one of nine grand finalists for the 2008 edition of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. The other solos will be sung by members of the Concert Choir.
The chorus will be accompanied by organist Kay McAfee and members of the OBU Wind Ensemble and OBU faculty. McAfee serves as church organist for the United Methodist Church in Arkadelphia.
“The organ plays a major role in this performance,” Dr. Gerber said. “We are not utilizing strings because of space requirements, so the organ will be the string orchestra while the other wind players play their respective parts. It should be an exciting accompaniment to such an exciting work.”
The concert is free and is open to the public. For more information about the performance, please call (870) 245-5128.
Ouachita Singers to record new CD
The Ouachita Singers’ spring concert will include a special feature this year as the group plans to record the concert live for a new compact disc, according to Dr. Gary Gerber. The CD will be released at the beginning of the fall semester.
The concert will be held Monday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m., in the McBeth Recital Hall on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University. The concert is free and open to the public.
Gerber, who directs the Ouachita Singers, is director of coral activities at Ouachita. Susan Atkinson serves as accompanist for the choir.
Gerber said the program will feature literature from a variety of musical periods. Highlights of the concert will include Renaissance motets by William Byrd and Giovanni Palestrina, a Romantic ballad by Johannes Brahms, a Zambian celebration song and spirituals from the early 20th century.
The concert will also include music by 20th century composers such as Morton Lauridson, Ola Gjeilo and Gyorgy Orban. Noting that these composers have become very popular in recent years with their innovative choral music, Gerber noted that their music features dissonance, closely intertwined harmonies and complex rhythms.
Ouachita Baptist University to host Ouachita Showcase in Fort Smith
FORT SMITH, Ark.-Ouachita Baptist University will host a Ouachita Showcase on Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. at Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith.
The showcase is designed for area high school students, their families and alumni and friends. Featured speakers will include Ouachita President Rex Horne and head football coach Todd Knight. The event also will feature performances by Ouachita's choir, orchestra and jazz band.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ouachita Baptist University at (870) 245-5169.
Nine students represent Ouachita at collegiate honor choir
Nine music students were chosen to represent Ouachita Baptist University at the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association collegiate honor choir held in Kansas City, Mo., February 20-22, 2008.
Selected for the honor choir were: Amanda Bryson, a sophomore choral music education major from Hot Springs, Ark.; Jeremy Hall, a junior choral music education major from Batesville, Ark.; Lauren Hill, a junior choral music education major from Little Rock, Ark.; Matt Landers, a senior music theory and composition major from Dallas, Texas; Andrew Miller, a sophomore choral music education major from Dalworthington Gardens, Texas; C.J. Rice, a sophomore choral music education major from Arlington, Texas; Jessica Schleiff, a sophomore choral music education major from Benton, Ark.; Maggie Taylor, a freshman choral music education major from Russellville, Ark.; and Josiah Wheeler, a freshman choral music education major from Jacksonville, Ark.
The choir is formed every two years as part of the Southwestern division of the American Choral Directors Association and is comprised of college students from the seven states that form the region.
The choir was 306 members strong this year, the largest choir to date, according to Dr. Gary Gerber, associate professor of music and the choir’s coordinator. The choir was conducted by Dr. Eph Ehly, a retired choral director from the University of Missouri in Kansas City.
Gerber selected Bachelor of Music Education students to attend as representatives of Ouachita.
“They need to see what it is like to attend a choral director convention,” said Gerber. “This is what they will be doing when they graduate. It was a tremendous educational experience for them. I am very pleased with our students and know that they benefited from this.”
Matt Landers certainly feels that he benefited; he said, "By far, the most important thing for me was meeting two composers of pieces our honor choir performed that night: Mark Hayes and Sherri Porterfield. They both spoke to me about composing for like ten minutes or so and were so encouraging.”
Similarly, Jeremy Hall said that, though he did not know initially what to expect from the conference, he was “blown away” by it.
“Going to this conference was probably one of the highlights of my college career,” said Hall. “It was a collaboration of beautiful music-making, growing friendships, and a lot of fun. Singing with 305 students from seven different states and being directed by one of the best conductors in the nation was truly a monumental experience.”
“This was a chance for me to gain actual experience in music education,” said Lauren Hill. “Instead of learning what it might be like in class, I got the opportunity to live it out and have a lot of fun doing it. Getting my feet wet in the heart of music education changed my whole outlook on experiencing, interpreting, creating, and expressing music.”
For more information, please contact Dr. Gary Gerber at (870) 245-5128 or via e-mail at gerberg@obu.edu.
School of Fine Arts presents A Service of Lessons and Carols
The Division of Music in the School of Fine Arts at Ouachita Baptist University will present “A Service of Lessons and Carols” on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the McBeth Recital Hall of Mabee Fine Arts Center.
The eleventh annual service will include recitation of traditional Scripture lessons, prayer, performances and congregational singing. The public is invited to attend. There is no admission charge.
The nine Scripture lessons will be read by members of the Ouachita community. Student readers include: Becca Watts, a freshman Mass Communications major from Smackover; Adam Wheat, a sophomore Mass Communications major from Ruston, Louisiana; Lindsey Wright, a junior Mass Communications major from Glenwood; and Caleb Quick, a senior Mass Communications major from Mesquite, Texas.
Featured readers from the faculty, staff and administration include: Bill Phelps, director of computer services; Barbara Pemberton, assistant professor of Christian missions; Merribeth Bruning, dean of the Huckabee School of Education; Stan Poole, vice president for academic affairs; and Rex M. Horne, Jr., president of Ouachita. Ian Cosh, assistant to the president for community development, director of the Elrod Center for Family and Community, and director of the Daniel R. Grant Center for International Studies, will lead in prayer.
The congregational carols will be led by organist Russell Hodges, associate professor of music and music librarian. The program also will include performances by the Ouachita Singers, conducted by Gary Gerber, associate professor of music; the Women’s Chorus, conducted by Mary Worthen, assistant professor of music; and the Ouachita Handbell Ringers, conducted by Rob Hewell, assistant professor of music.
For more information about “A Service of Lessons and Carols” at Ouachita, persons may contact the School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129, or via e-mail at huneycuttl@obu.edu.
The School of Fine Arts presents the Festival of Christmas
The School of Fine Arts at Ouachita Baptist University will present the annual Festival of Christmas musical performance on November 30-December 1 in Jones Performing Arts Center. Both performances will begin at 7:30 p.m.
For the past 17 years the School of Fine Arts has presented a Christmas Card to the community with their annual holiday production. This year’s show features the Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, Tiger Blast, Ouachita Sounds, Ouachita Singers, and Praise Singers. Audiences can also expect to see cameos from students in the Department of Theatre.
Tickets for the “Festival of Christmas” are $5 each and may be purchased through the School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129 or on-line at http://www.obu.edu/finearts/.