Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University will host the Arkadelphia Chamber Players on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. The concert will be held in McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center, and a reception will follow.

Heather Thayer, assistant professor of music at Ouachita, founded the Arkadelphia Chamber Players in 2015 with the goal of bringing together professional musicians in Arkadelphia and creating community.

The Arkadelphia Chamber Players includes professionals from Ouachita, Henderson State University and the Clark County community who perform in a variety of small ensembles. This group thrives on a unique collaboration and builds a connection between the musicians and the audience.

“All of us have been saying that we have wanted to play chamber music together,” Thayer explained. “We saw this as a chance for us to collaborate.”

The concert will feature a range of musical styles and sounds such as “Op. 59” by Crawford Gates and “Tapas” by Marc Mellits. Various ensembles will be featured including a quartet of tubas and euphoniums and a trio including a trombone, trumpet and horn.

“Those small ensembles are what we love to play in because it gives us the chance to be really expressive and to play music we don’t normally get to do,” Thayer said.

A reception is held after each concert the Arkadelphia Chamber Players perform to give the audience an opportunity to meet the musicians.

“It’s a smaller venue and the people who come really enjoy it and have a good time getting to know us a little bit more personally,” Thayer said. “This is something that a lot of people have not experienced before but they should give it a chance. There is going to be something for everyone at this concert.”

For more information about the Arkadelphia Chamber Players, contact Heather Thayer at [email protected] or (870) 245-4172.

 

By Sarah Davis