On Wednesday, January 11, 2012, the UTM New Pacer Singers, including director Dr. Mark Simmons, returned from a week-long tour of the East Coast, including Norfolk, VA; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; and New York City.
The list of arenas they performed include McKendree United Methodist Church of Norfolk, VA; the house of Anne Meek, daughter of former UTM chancellor Paul Meek; the Baltimore Basilica; The Church of the Holy Trinity of Philadelphia; St. Bartholomew’s Church of New York; and the Church of the Ascension of New York. At each location, they performed the set list of songs that they had been preparing all semester—How Can I Keep From Singing arranged by Karen P. Thomas, O Magnum Mysterium arranged by Kevin Memley,Ecce Dedi Verba Mea arranged by Richard Burchard, Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye arranged by Alice Parker, Francis Poulenc’s four Christmas motets, Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen by Gustav Mahler, Hold On arranged by Stacey Gibbs, and Cells Planets arranged by Vince Peterson and performed by Chanticleer.
According to the students, the music selection, along with the places they performed, provided a unique performing experience.
“This choir tour allowed us to experience new and different settings than last year. I feel like our experience was enhanced by our preparation with the music and by how professionally we all treated the music and the tour. Dr. Simmons did a fantastic job in preparing this tour for us, and he picked very interesting cities and venues for us to sing,” senior New Pacer member Jennifer Reeves said.
“The performances that took place on this tour were nothing short of magical. I don’t believe the choir has ever sounded this amazing. The choir stands toe to toe with some of the top choirs in the nation and we got to perform in spaces that truly show the great sound the ensemble has,” senior New Pacer member Josh Gatlin said.
For Gatlin, this experience was especially distinctive, because this is his last tour after touring every year with the UTMchoir.
“The choir has been touring since 2005, and I have been on every tour. Choir tour becomes a different experience every year. Originally, both University Singers and New Pacer Singers toured, but over the past 3 years, it has just been New Pacers.
Every tour, we get the opportunity to experience an awesome part of our nation and sing in some of the most beautiful spaces in this country,” Gatlin said.
Not only were the venues and performances interesting, but the cities that the members got to experience.
“Though last year’s choir tour was awesome, the fact that it was only in Tennessee didn’t make it too much of an experience.
This past choir tour, though, was, indeed, life changing. I went to places I never thought I’d see this early in my life,” sophomore New Pacer member Tim Johnson said.
The students felt that this tour represented the choir well and was another reminder of the excellence of both New Pacer Singers and Simmons.
“Tour really gives the performers reassurance that what is going on here at Martin is on par with some of the best music schools in the country. It really means a great deal when you have a conversation with a stranger, and they say they are completely shocked at our performance and were not expecting us to sound so good,” junior New Pacer member Alan Jones said.
“The university is truly fortunate to have such a fantastic, knowledgeable, and caring conductor/professor as Dr. Mark Simmons.
He has completely reversed the choir program and made it something the university and community should be proud to have. He believes in touring the ensemble and in his students, and we wouldn’t be were we are without him,” Gatlinsaid.
“To be able to say that I was a part of the UTM New Pacer Singers under the direction of Dr. Mark Simmons is something I am very proud to tell the world. Because of this tour, our ensemble was able to show these four cities our talent and, more specifically, teachings from this university, this music group, and from Dr. Mark Simmons,” Reeves said.
With the new semester here and tour over, New Pacer Singer members are now preparing for the annual UTM Honor Choir, taking place in February.
Here, they will help high school choir students learn challenging music and be able to perform it.
