Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University will host four student recitals on Oct. 27, including senior Rachel Clifton in her senior instrumental recital and Matthew Burns, Hannah Hill and Cedar Valdez in their sophomore vocal recitals. The sophomore recitals will be held at 11 a.m., and Clifton’s senior recital will be held at 2 p.m. All will take place in Ouachita’s McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center, and admission is free and open to the public.

Clifton is a senior music education major from Alma, Ark., and is a member of the National Association for Music Education Collegiate. She will be performing on the euphonium and will begin her recital with “Serenade” and “Festival” from Edward Montgomery’s Mirror Lake. She then will perform “Thunder, Lightning and Whistling Wind” by George Frideric Handel and “Echo Fantasia” by Jacob de Haan. Clifton will conclude her recital with “Andante” and “Allegro” from J. E. Barat’s Andante et Allegro. She will be accompanied on the piano by Kristin La Madrid, a staff accompanist. Clifton is a student of Geoffrey Durbin, adjunct instructor of music.

Burns is a sophomore musical theatre major from Benton, Ark. He will begin his recital with Meredith Wilson’s “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man and Eliot Kennedy and Gary Barlow’s “What You Mean to Me” from Finding Neverland. Burns will conclude his recital with scene seven from Patrick Shanley’s Doubt and Dave Malloy’s “Dust and Ashes” from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Lauren Terry, a junior musical theatre major from Evansville, Ind., choreographed Burns’ recital and will join him for part of it, along with Kara Claybrook, adjunct instructor of music. Susan Monroe, a staff accompanist, will accompany Burns on piano. Burns is a student of Claybrook and Dr. Scott Holsclaw, professor of theatre arts.

Hill is a sophomore musical theatre major from Alexander, Ark. She is a member of Ouachita Singers and Ouachita Sounds. Hill will begin her recital with Adam Gwon’s “Ordinary Days” from Don’t Wanna Be Here. She will continue her recital with Stephen Sondheim’s “Gypsy” from If Momma Was Married and “Isn’t it Romantic?” by Wendy Wasserstein. Hill will close her recital with Alan Menken’s “The Life I Never Led” from Sister Act. Phyllis Walker, a staff accompanist, will accompany Hill on piano during the recital, and Emma Pitts, a sophomore music education major from Clarksville, Ark., also will assist Hill for part of the recital. Hill is a student of Dr. Glenda Secrest, professor of music, and Drew Hampton, assistant professor of theatre of arts.

Valdez is a sophomore musical theatre major from Garfield, Ark. He is a member of Ouachita Singers and Ouachita Sounds and was a host for Tiger Tunes 2017. Valdez will begin his recital with Justin Paul and Benji Pasek’s “Boy with Dreams” from Edges and Act I, Scene IV of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole. He will close his recital with Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top” from Anything Goes and Stephen Schwartz’s “With You” from Pippin. Monroe will accompany Valdez on piano during the recital. Autumn Romines, a sophomore musical theatre major from Cabot, Ark., choreographed the recital and also will join Valdez. Valdez is a student of Holsclaw and Dr. Maggie Garrett, associate professor of music.

For more information, contact OBU’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

 

By Katie Smith

October 18, 2017