Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s String Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Craig Hamilton, will present a concert Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public.

The ensemble will perform a variety of selections, beginning with Brian Balmages’ “Wood Splitter Fanfare,” Almon C. Bock II’s “Elegy for String Orchestra” and Mark Jasinski’s arrangement of “Brandenburg Concerto No. 4” by J.S. Bach. They will then perform Harry Alshin’s arrangement of “Danny Boy,” Soon Hee Newbold’s “Lion City” and Joseph J. Phillips’ “Fantasia on an Original Theme.” The concert will conclude with Brian Balmages’ “Ice Sculptures,” Sandra Dackow’s arrangement of “Largo from Symphony No. 7—‘New World’” by Antonin Dvorak and Michael Hopkins’ arrangement of “Carol of the Bells.”

The String Ensemble is conducted by Dr. Craig Hamilton, OBU’s Lena Goodwin Trimble Professor of Music and director of bands, and will be accompanied by pianist Susan Atkinson, administrative assistant to OBU’s dean of humanities, and percussionist Zach Zucha, a sophomore business administration major from Sachse, Texas.

Playing violin one in the ensemble are Emily Anderson, a sophomore from Siloam Springs, Ark.; Samantha Street, a sophomore accounting major from Rogers, Ark.; and Annelise Henley, a freshman psychology and history major from Arkadelphia, Ark.

Playing violin two in the ensemble are Hunter Wolf, a freshman business administration/management major from Waco, Texas; Judith Brizuela, a sophomore psychology major from Cortes, Honduras; and Jonathan Waddell, a freshman psychology major from North Little Rock, Ark.

Playing viola are Meredith Nesbit and Brittany Nolan, a freshman communication sciences and disorders major from El Dorado, Ark.

Playing cello are Dr. Alex Nesbit, OBU professor emeritus of chemistry, and Jacob Sturgeon, a freshman choral music education major from Pine Bluff, Ark.

Playing bass are Tyler Kemp, a senior music theory/composition major from Bolivar, Mo.; and Michael Curtis, a sophomore music major from Wylie, Texas.

For more information, contact Dr. Craig Hamilton at [email protected] or (870) 245-5137.