This post was written jointly by Elizabeth Brenneise '23 (Alto Section Leader, Social Media Correspondent, and member of Off-Kilter and Lassies) and Connor Goins '24 (Co-Uniform Manager and member of Off-Kilter and Lads.)
Videos of this concert will be made available soon, and will be linked to this post & the Friends of the Maryville College Concert Choir Facebook page.
On Thursday, February 10th, the Maryville College Concert Choir Small Ensembles had their first concert of the semester. Off-Kilter, Lads, and Lassies gathered and performed a beautiful concert in the Lambert Recital Hall. We had a wonderful turn-out of community members, MC faculty and staff, and students.
The Lassies, directed by Stacey Wilner, kicked off our concert by singing "No Time," a traditional camp meeting song, arranged by Susan Brumfield. This song features a beautiful accompaniment that was flawlessly played by the Lassies and Off-Kilter accompanist, Chase Hatmaker. They, then, quite literally "took the stage" (shown above) and captivated the audience with their performance of "Skye Boat Song," which some may recognize as the theme to the popular show, "Outlander." "Skye Boat Song" is a traditional Scottish Folk song (paying tribute to our MC Scots,) and is arranged by Paul Langford. Our Lassies wrapped up their set with a sea shanty by the name of "Wellerman." "Skye Boat Song" and "Wellerman" were both accompanied by percussionist Amber Nejme-Hatmaker. The traditional New Zealand Shanty, arranged by Jake Alexander, was popularized in the last year or two on TikTok, and transformed our sweet Lassies into mighty sea-women. We are so proud of the work that our Lassies put in.
Off-Kilter started their set with the powerful "Dies Irae from Requiem," arranged by Michael John Trotta. This piece lights a fire in Off-Kilter, and is a fast moving spin on a classic melody. Off-Kilter quickly switched gears and performed the tender "Sing Me to Heaven," (text by Jane Griner, Music by Daniel E. Gawthrop.) Mrs. Wilner, Off-Kilter director, has been our influence in this piece. "She is always relating the music and text to help us visualize what we are singing, and she never fails to inspire us before (or during!) a concert," says Elizabeth Brenneise '23 (the writer of this blog!) "Sing Me to Heaven" is such a gentle and moving piece, that there was not a dry eye in the audience or ensemble. Flipping the switch yet again, the group showed their capability of a diverse repertoire with Moses Hogan's arrangement of "Wade in the Water." Soloists for this piece were Elisabeth Jackson '22, Brianna Marcopulos '24, and Izzy Wright '25 (shown above.) The Maryville College Choral Department has an affinity to Hogan's spirituals, and this fiery song was no exception. To complete the Off-Kilter set, the ensemble honored the College's Scottish heritage by singing the Traditional Scottish Folk Song "The Parting Glass," arranged by Sarah Quartle. Off-Kilter was also accompanied by rockstar pianist, Chase Hatmaker. We are so proud of the work that Off-Kilter has put in this semester.
Finally, The Lads, under the direction of Alan Elazer and Accompanied by Robbie Clemens ‘20, began with Dan Davidson’s Arrangement of "Shout for Joy", based on Psalm 98. This lead into "I Believe," an anonymous Jewish poem, arranged by Mark A. Miller. The lyrics to this piece are believed to have been found scratched onto the walls of a gas chamber at a concentration camp in World War II Germany. "I Believe" features Michael Place ‘22 as a soloist. This was followed by "Hard Times," arranged by Nick Johnson. "Hard Times" speaks on keeping one’s head toward the sky and counting one’s blessings, as our hardships are soon to be over. Lead soloist Connor Cowart ‘23 was joined by Gabe Bailey ‘23 and Gavin Lester ‘24 in backup, along with the rest of the kilted singers. Closing out with a Lads signature piece, Connor Goins ‘24 and Kelton Bloxham ‘24 led the group through "Swing Down, Chariot." The tradition was brought to life through the barber shop-esque stylings of our Lads combined with the unique choreographic interpretations by Goins ‘24 and Bloxham ‘24. The Lads are extremely grateful to be able to continue the legacy of those who came before with these selections. We are so proud of the work that Alan and the Lads have put in.
After "Swing Down, Chariot," the Lassies joined the Lads on stage for an impromptu performance of The Lutkin Benediction. This benediction is tradition for the MC Concert Choir, and it made perfect sense to end this very sentimental and special concert. This was the first ever vocal-only small ensemble concert, and Off-Kilter, Lassies, and Lads are so happy to be back on stage. We are, also, excited about our upcoming tour in March! Please be on the lookout on our social media pages for updates about Choir Tour 2022!!
The MC Vocal Small Ensembles would like to thank Mrs. Stacey Wilner, Mr. Alan Eleazar, Mrs. Hannah Strong, Chase Hatmaker, Amber Nejme-Hatmaker, Robby Clemens, the CCA staff, and the College Administration for their continued work in making these concerts such a wonderful experience.
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