Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s premier choral ensembles, Ouachita Singers and Women’s Chorus, will present their fall concert Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall on Ouachita’s campus.

Both groups’ directors noted the broad scope of music the choral students will learn and present throughout their careers at Ouachita. This concert will feature folk and hymn tunes as well as a few new arrangements of familiar musical theatre tunes.

“Each year I try to emphasize a particular genre of choral music so the students, in their four years of singing, have the opportunity to hear and sing a variety of styles and from a wide range of musical periods,” said Ouachita Singers Director Dr. Gary Gerber, chair of Ouachita’s Division of Music. “This year’s focus is on folk tunes and old hymn tunes.”

“This fall the Women’s Chorus concert offers an eclectic combination of choral literature,” added Women’s Chorus Director Dr. Becky Morrison, chair of Ouachita’s Department of Music Education. “From time-honored arrangements of hymns to new pieces utilizing percussion and synthesizer, there will be a song for everyone at this concert.”

Morrison also noted that due to many Women’s Chorus members pursuing degrees in musical theatre, arrangements of popular selections from West Side Story, The Lion King and Frozen also will be included in the concert.

Women’s Chorus will present the following: “Festival Gloria” by Craig Courtney, “Yes, My Jesus Loves Me” by Mary McDonald, William Stickles’ arrangement of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s “America” from West Side Story, “Eatnemen Vuelie” by Frode Fjellheim (made popular by Frozen), Huff’s arrangement of John and Rice’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” from The Lion King, Roger Emerson’s arrangement of A.P. Carter and Luisa Gerstein’s “Cups” (made popular by Pitch Perfect) and Dan Forrest’s arrangement of “How Great Thou Art.”

Ouachita Singers will present the following: “Ave verum corpus” by William Byrd, “Ubi caritas” by Ola Gjeilo, Craig Courtney’s arrangement of “Alaz! And Did My Savior Bleed,” “And Can It Be?” and “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” by Dan Forrest, “O vos omnes” and “Under Your Feet” by Blake Henson, Michael Engelhardt’s arrangement of “Wayfaring Stranger” and Rollo Dilworth’s arrangement of “Roll, Jordan, Roll.”

This concert marks the end of Ouachita Singers’ fall tour, which includes the following upcoming engagements:

• Sunday, Oct. 26: First Baptist Church of Memphis’ 125^th anniversary


• Monday, Oct. 27: Little Rock Christian Academy, Arkansas Baptist High School & Conway Christian School


• Tuesday, Oct. 28: Camden High School, Magnolia High School & Arkansas Baptist State Convention

Gerber expressed his appreciation for the hard work of the young students in Ouachita Singers, saying, “The last two years has seen a large number of graduates from Ouachita Singers. There are a good number of underclassmen who have stepped in and are doing a great job.”

For more information on the concert or on Ouachita’s choral program, contact Dr. Gary Gerber at [email protected] or (870) 245-5128.

By Brooke Zimny