Ouachita Stories

Elisabeth Hipp was named winner of Ouachita Baptist University’s 12^th annual Mary Shambarger Competition for Singers, held Feb. 23. The competition repertoire rotates annually among musical theatre, arias from opera and oratorio and art songs. Twenty students competed in this year’s musical theatre competition.

Hipp, a junior vocal performance major from Memphis, Tenn., won a cash prize of $500 for her performance of Leonard Bernstein’s “Glitter and Gay” from Candide. She is a student of Dr. Glenda Secrest, OBU associate professor of music, and was accompanied by Phyllis Walker.

“My teacher shared the song and some ideas about it close to a year ago,” said Hipp. “As soon as I heard the music and saw how incredibly hysterical and dramatic the character was, I knew that she was someone I wanted to portray and that I wanted to take on the challenge of the music.”

Second place and $300 went to Jacob Watson, a junior musical theatre major from Wynne, Ark., for his performance of Jason Robert Brown’s “King of the World” from Songs for a New World. He is a student of Dr. Jon Secrest, OBU professor of music, and was accompanied by Phyllis Walker. Haley Broadaway, a senior musical theatre major from Jonesboro, Ark., earned third place and a $200 prize for her performance of Claude Michel-Schönberg’s “Woman” from The Pirate Queen. She is a student of Dr. Margaret Garrett, OBU assistant professor of music, and was accompanied by Linda Thompson. Kyle Huey, a senior musical theatre major from Grapevine, Texas, earned fourth place and a $100 prize for his performance of Lisa Lambert’s “I am Aldolpho” from The Drowsy Chaperone. He is a student of Dr. Jon Secrest and was accompanied by Linda Thompson.

“It truly is a reward in itself to be able to compete with such talented people,” Hipp said, “and everyone who competed did a fantastic job. It is so gratifying to have worked really hard in preparation and then simply enjoy the experience of sharing the music and character with the audience.”

Four students were each awarded honorable mention and a $50 prize: Brooke Ault, a junior musical theatre major from Little Rock, Ark., performed John Kander’s “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret with Linda Thompson on piano; Hannah Chapman, a senior vocal performance major from Forney, Texas, performed George Gershwin’s “My Man’s Gone Now” from Porgy and Bess with Phyllis Walker on piano; Krysteena Koiner, a senior musical theatre major from Azle, Texas, performed Harold Rome’s “Chain Store Daisy” from Pins and Needles with Mary Worthen on piano; and Andrew Miller, a sophomore vocal performance major from Dalworthington Gardens, Texas, performed Jason Robert Brown’s “It’s Hard to Speak My Heart” from Parade with Phyllis Walker on piano. Ault and Miller are students of Dr. Jon Secrest, Chapman is a student of Dr. Glenda Secrest and Koiner is a student of Mary Worthen, OBU assistant professor of music.

The Shambarger Competition honors Mrs. Mary Shambarger, OBU professor emerita of music. Shambarger, who served on Ouachita’s music faculty for 32 years, was influential in forming the Ouachita-Tones, an all-girls singing ensemble, and later restructuring it into the Ouachita Sounds, a small mixed ensemble.

For more information about the Shambarger Competition, contact Dr. Jon Secrest at [email protected] or (870) 245-5134.

By Julie Hagar