Of Stones and Stars” tour , Maryville Concert Choir presents an evening of choral music .
07 May 2020 from 1900
Selections include “Northern Lights” by Ola Gjeilo, “Amazing Grace” by Eriks Esenvalds and “Underneath the Stars” arr. Jim Clemens
The Maryville College Concert Choir was organized in 1917 for the purpose of singing vesper services and was appropriately named the Vesper Choir. It became a part of the music curriculum in 1936 and underwent a name change to the “Maryville College Concert Choir” in 1954. Of the numerous fine directors, the one with the longest tenure is Dr. Harry H. Harter, who led the group from 1947 until his retirement in 1981. Current director is Stacey Murphy Wilner, who is the director of choral activities at Maryville College. Wilner has served as past president and as the repertoire and standards chair of the Tennessee chapter of ACDA.
Today, members of the Concert Choir serve as musical ambassadors for the college, touring both domestically and internationally. Participation is by audition only and many of the students are music or choral scholarship recipients. Students assist in hosting All East Chorus in November, participate in an annual fall retreat and host a benefit Invitational Choir Festival, to support non-profit groups such as the Blount County Boys and Girls Club, the Joy of Music School and Africa-Eli. Performances throughout the year also include Homecoming Choir Concert, A Maryville Christmas, Spring Homecoming Concerts, Knoxville Opera’s “Rossini Festival”, and performances at area churches and other events in the community throughout the year.
In January of 2018 and in February of 2019, the Concert Choir hosted artist-in-residence Paul Phoenix, a grammy award winning former member of the The King’s Singers. The choir participates in master classes each year with professional musicians such as Cantus, Jacqui Horner-Kwiatek formerly of Anonymous 4, Dr. Joe Miller of Westminster Choir College and most recently with Voces8. The Concert Choir performed at the Tennessee Music Educators Association State Conference in Nashville in April of 2013 and 2017. The 2018 “Make Our Garden Grow” spring tour included locations in South Carolina and Florida. The Concert Choir participated in the world premiere of “People Are the Key”, composed by Paul John Rudoi and commissioned for the 2019 Bicentennial Homecoming Choir concert. In May of 2019, the Concert Choir will be traveling to England and Scotland with performances at VOCES8 Centre in London, Stirling Castle in Stirling and including joint concerts with the St. Salvator’s Chapel Choir of St. Andrew’s University and the Heart of Scotland Choir in Stirling.
Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, Maryville College is a nationally ranked institution of higher learning that successfully joins the liberal arts and professional preparation in partnership with others. The philosophy of the students in the Concert Choir closely follows that of Maryville College founder Isaac Anderson, which is “to do good on the largest possible scale”.
Hirer information: Monica Thomas ukirishconcerts2020@yahoo.com
Please note that this is not a VOCES8 Foundation event. Please contact the hirer for further information