Ouachita Stories

The Ouachita Singers are set to release their fifth audio recording. According to Dr. Gary Gerber, “Our God is God,” one of the Singers favorite and most meaningful songs to perform, is now the title of their new CD, which will be released Oct. 2, after the Combined Choirs Concert in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Gerber, associate professor of music and conductor of the Ouachita Singers, was delighted with the overall outcome of the project. He said, “The music on the CD represents the music that the Ouachita Singers perform during the year.” Gerber also noted that the pictures on the CD from Berry Chapel and other sites on campus give it a “personal OBU touch.”

The 16 song selections are live recordings chosen from two concerts, one from each semester of the 2007-08 academic year. The selections range from the Renaissance period to the 21st century, include both sacred and secular text and are presented in a variety languages.

Gerber explained that this recording will benefit the students emotionally, saying, “These students will have this ‘record of time’ for the rest of their lives. They will look back at OBU and remember their time here on campus and their time in the Ouachita Singers.”

The 1,000 copies of the CD will be used both as a recruiting tool by the admissions office and a fund raising tool by the Singers. The Singers will offer the CD for sale at concerts, and individual singers can sell CDs to raise money for their spring tour to Washington D.C. and New York City.

“Our God is God” is the fifth recording that has been produced by the Ouachita Singers and Gerber noted, “I still get calls from alumni that would like to get a copy of previous CDs.”

The CDs are $15 and will be available after Singers concerts or by calling the School of Fine Arts office at 870-245-5129. All proceeds will go to support the Ouachita Singers choral program.

by Rebecca Rambin