Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host Christina Wood in her senior composition recital Monday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall.

Wood, a senior music theory and composition major from Longview, Texas, composed all of the pieces performed during her time at Ouachita, and she said each of her compositions holds special significance. Several Ouachita students and faculty members will participate in the recital as vocalists and instrumentalists.

During her time at OBU, Wood has served as the president, vice president of membership and treasurer of the Ouachita chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity. In 2011, she earned third place in the Virginia Queen Piano Competition and she earned honorable mention in the competition in 2010. She was awarded the Queen Piano Award of the Little Rock Musical Coterie and has also received Sigma Alpha Iota’s Honor Award.

Starting the recital with “Reflection” will be Elyse Senteney, a senior music education major from Plano, Texas, on flute and T.J. Bailey, a sophomore church music major from Fort Smith, Ark., on piano. "‘Reflection’ is special to me because it is the very first piece I ever composed,” Wood said. “I had never composed before starting at OBU, so I think of that piece as my introduction to composition.”

Bailey will also perform the piano solo “Paranoia.” "No Te Amo" will then be sung by Xavier Lagunas, a senior musical theatre major from Arlington, Texas, accompanied by Jenna Cummings, a senior church music major from Jacksonville, Ark., on piano.

Jillian Turner, a freshman vocal performance major from Fort Worth, Texas, and Cummings will then perform the piano duet "We're Only Debating.” Wood described this piece as “a commentary on my childhood. When my mom would tell my younger brother and me not to argue, we would tell her, 'We're only debating!' and that became the basis for the piece.”

A piece titled “High Ground” will then be performed by Senteney on flute; Kelsey Bates, a senior music education major from Marion, Ark., on horn; and Chris Hogan, a freshman music education major from Bartlesville, Okla., on marimba.

A vocal piece titled “Farewell” will follow, sung by Bekah Anthony, a senior vocal performance major from Roanoke, Texas, and accompanied by Lagunas on piano. “‘Farewell’ is probably the most significant piece on the program," Wood said. “It is one of my most recent pieces, and I consider it to be my farewell to my time here at Ouachita.”

“Difficult Partings,” a saxophone quartet piece, will then be performed by Allan Bateman, a junior music theory/composition major from Perryville, Ark.; Alex Goff, a senior instrumental music education major from Nashville, Ark.; Bradley Lindsey, a junior instrumental music education major from Longview, Texas; and Brent Nessler, a sophomore instrumental music education major from Rowlett, Texas.

The Ouachita Singers, under the direction of Dr. Gary Gerber, will conclude the recital by performing two selections, “A Prayer” and “Dreams.” Wood said she finds these choral pieces significant “because I love composing for choirs, and these two pieces are set to really beautiful poetry by Edgar Allan Poe and Sara Teasdale.”

The recital is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

By Nicci Fillinger