October 10, 2007
Concert choir to perform at Carbondale church
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Concert Choir presents a free performance beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the First Christian Church in Carbondale.
Choir Director Susan Davenport said the choir – and its offshoot, the SIUC Chamber Singers – typically schedule off-campus performances during the academic year as part of an effort to establish a community base of support as well as to give the choir the opportunity to perform in different venues. This year, the concert is partly a preview of the performance the choir will give during the Illinois Music Educators Association conference on Feb. 1, 2008. Davenport said conference organizers invited the choir on the strength of an audition.
"This whole fall semester is preparing for the conference performance," Davenport said, noting this is the first IMEA invitation for the SIUC choir and that it is an honor to perform at the statewide event. The SIUC Wind Ensemble played by invitation last year. Davenport expects the performance repertoire for the choir's performance will include an original piece created by a specialist in composition at SIUC School of Music, she said.
Membership in the SIUC Concert Choir is by audition and is not limited to music majors. Davenport said she wants interested students capable of singing in a collegiate-level choir, regardless of their field of study.
"Sometimes that right person may be an aviation major," she said. "I'd be tickled to death to have more participation across campus. Right now we have a good mix. We've got graduate students whose training is phenomenal, and we have some choir members who were in high school six months ago. My young choir members are really invested in what they are doing. This semester has been such a delight – they all work so hard."
Some concert choir members also participate in the SIUC Chamber Singers, a smaller group that performs solo or with other chamber groups in the School of Music. Davenport recently expanded the groups' medieval and Renaissance repertoire to include contemporary works intended for smaller vocal groups. She said many contemporary choral compositions are meant for smaller groups of singers and are a welcome addition to a vocal chamber group. The SIUC Chamber Singers perform at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall on campus. The performance is free and open to the public.
The SIUC Concert Choir members are listed here by hometown. An asterisk (*) indicates membership in the SIUC Chamber Singers as well.
Illinois
• Cambridge: Jacky Schmedt, senior, School of Music
• Carbondale: Jacob Hays, freshman, School of Music; *Anna Jackson, senior, School of Music; *Stephen Robinson, graduate, School of Music
• Carterville: Travis Westbrook, senior, School of Music
• Centreville: Louis Murray, sophomore, School of Music
• Chicago: *William Barney, sophomore, School of Music; *Christa Sangster, junior, School of Music; Jordan Singer, junior, School of Music
• Coulterville: Kaylyn Gimber, sophomore, School of Music
• Country Club Hills: Ashley Walker, senior, radio-television
• Danvers: *Brian Clark, senior, School of Music
• Du Quoin: Lydia Dunmyer, freshman, School of Music; Ryan Bulliner, junior, School of Music
• Edwardsville: Jason Miller, freshman, School of Music
• Grayville: *James Williams, sophomore, School of Music
• Freeport: Stephanie Reece, senior, School of Music
• Glen Ellyn: *Tim Lamberty, senior, School of Music
• Hawthorne Woods: *Peter Chudyba, senior, School of Music
• Highland: *Carlyn Zimmermann, graduate student, School of Music
• Jerseyville: *Michelle Myers, senior, School of Music
• Lockport: *Kayley Fitt-Handzik, sophomore, School of Music
• Marshall: *Max Ryan Zschau IV, junior, School of Music
• Naperville: Rebecca Syverson, junior, School of Music
• New Lenox: Megan Flynn, junior, School of Music
• Rochester: John Michael Presney, sophomore, theater major; Eric Leach, junior, School of Music
• Rushville: *Sarah Wiggins, graduate student, School of Music
• Springfield: Sarah Ferry, freshman, School of Music
• Waynesville: *Andy Martin, senior, School of Music
• West Frankfort: Michael Eldridge, sophomore, School of Music
• Wood River: Casey Levan, senior, School of Music
Alabama
• Calera: Cordelia Anderson, graduate student, School of Music
• Tuskegee: Ricardo King, graduate student, School of Music
Idaho
• Boise: Alana Boltz, senior, School of Music
Kentucky
• Paducah: James P. Davis Jr, junior, School of Music
Missouri
• Bonne Terre: *Morgan Thurman, junior, School of Music
Ohio
• Cuyahoga Falls: *Sarah Besse, sophomore, School of Music
Texas
• League City: Jaci McDole, senior, School of Music