Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will present its annual “PRISM” concert on May 3 at 8 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center on Ouachita’s campus.

According to Dr. Craig Hamilton, OBU’s Lena Goodwin Trimble Professor of Music and director of bands, “the ‘PRISM’ concert is a presentation of the Ouachita Wind Ensemble, Combined Bands and various small ensembles and soloists from the instrumental department.

“The PRISM concert is a unique concert concept that features numerous ensembles performing throughout the auditorium – not just on the stage,” Hamilton said.

The name “PRISM” is used to describe the mixture of different types of instrumental music and ensembles present in the performance, Hamilton added.

OBU’s Trombone Ensemble will begin the concert with “In Memoriam” by Raymond Premru. The Clarinet Ensemble then will present “Litany” and “Roundelay” from Warner Hutchison’s “Suite for Clarinet Choir,” followed by the Percussion Ensemble’s presentation of “Charleston Capers” by George Hamilton Green. Chris Hogan, a freshman instrumental music education major from Bartlesville, Okla., will be featured in a xylophone solo.

Cyrus Morris, a senior music major from Katy, Texas, will present a saxophone solo, followed by the Wind Ensemble’s performance of “Blue Shades” by Frank Ticheli and a trombone solo by Russell Shaw, a senior music major from Mesquite, Texas.

Next, the Saxophone Ensemble will present “That’s A Plenty” by Paul Nagel, and then the Flute Ensemble will perform “Rose Cottage” and “The Doubtful Wife” from Catherine McMichael’s “A Gaelic Offering.”

The Horn Ensemble will present “Ladler” by Heinz Leibert, followed by the Percussion Ensemble performing “Trio per Uno” by Nebosja Zivkovic. The concert will conclude with the combined bands performing “Of Sailors and Whales” by W. Francis McBeth.

Dr. McBeth, who earned extensive accolades throughout his career, served as Ouachita’s composer-in-residence, Lena Goodwin Trimble Professor of Music and chair of the theory/composition department of the Division of Music. He also served as conductor of the Arkansas Symphony and as Arkansas’ composer laureate, the first composer laureate named in the United States. He died earlier this year at the age of 78.

Tickets are $5 each at www.obu.edu/boxoffice or (870) 245-5555. Ouachita students receive one free ticket with their student ID. For more information, contact the OBU School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

By Lara Overman