Ouachita Stories

Ouachita’s Division of Music will host Karlee Sanders and Clara Taylor in their senior voice recitals Friday, Oct. 22, at 11 a.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. It also will be streamed live online at livestream.com/obu/taylor-sanders.

“It is such a joy to be able to sing with Clara, since we’ve been great friends since freshman year,” said Sanders, a choral music education major from Caraway, Ark. “We both hope that everyone who is able to attend or watch the livestream can see how much work we, our voice teachers and our accompanists have put into preparing this recital, and that they enjoy the show.”

Sanders has been named to the President’s and Dean’s lists at Ouachita, where she has served as vice president of Ouachita Singers and the campus chapter of the National Association for Music Education and has been a member of the Carl Goodson Honors Program. A six-time finalist in the singing competition sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Sanders received the Rachel Fuller Memorial, Friends of Fine Arts Vocal Department and Hammons Charitable Foundation scholarships at Ouachita.

During the recital, she will perform “I Know that My Redeemer Liveth” from Messiah by George Frideric Handel; “Er, der herrlichste von allen,” “Du ring an meinem finger” and “Helft mir, ihr schwestern” from Frauenliebe Und-Leben by Robert Schumann; “Freschi luoghi, prati aulenti” by Stefano Donaudy; “Le parfum impérissable” by Gabriel Fauré; and “A Last Song” from Despite and Still by Samuel Barber.

“This is a bittersweet occasion,” said Taylor, a choral music education major from White Hall, Ark. “We are celebrating our work from the past four years, but also closing this chapter of our lives and will be moving into teaching very soon. I am very excited to showcase our talent and to enjoy this performance.” 

Named to the President’s and Dean’s lists at Ouachita, where she is vice president of Ouachita Singers and a member of Tri Chi women’s social club, Taylor has been a semifinalist in the NATS Singing Competition. She was selected to participate in Ouachita’s Opera in Italy summer study program and received the Blanche Jones, David O. Dearmond and Ouachita Fine Arts scholarships.

Taylor will perform “Rejoice Greatly” from Handel’s Messiah; “Smanie Implacabili” from Cosi Fan Tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; “Träume” from Wesendonck-Lieder by Richard Wagner; “Chanson d’Orkenise,” “Hôtel” and “Voyage à Paris” from Banalités by Francis Poulenc; and “I’m Nobody” and “If I …” from Four Dickinson Songs by Lori Laitman.

Sanders and Taylor will perform two duets: “At Sunset” from Pique Dame by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and “I Will Never Leave You” from Side Show by Henry Krieger.

Sanders’ and Taylor’s principal applied instructor at Ouachita is Dr. Margaret Garrett, professor of music. Sanders was also a student of John Briggs, former adjunct lecturer in music. She will be accompanied on piano by Phyllis Walker, Ouachita staff accompanist. Taylor will be accompanied by pianist Susan Monroe, also a Ouachita accompanist.

For more information, contact Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

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