Review: Fall Choral Concert

At 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Department of Music hosted its Fall Choral Concert in the UC Ballroom.

The University Singers were welcomed on stage by applause from the audience. Dr. Mark Simmons was the conductor and informed the audience that they were streaming live on the web. He also said after being displaced for four years because of the renovation of the fine arts building, “The next time you hear us, we will be in our new facility.”

Dr. Simmons conducted the University Singers through several different songs such as Come, thou fount of every blessing arrangedby Mack Wilberg and Os Justi by Anton Bruckner.

Two music majors, Zach Rea and Aaron Hand, had the opportunity to conduct their peers. Rea conducted the choir to sing Ave Maria and Hand conducted Der Gang Zum Liebchen. The two students are music education majors.

The University Singers is open to all majors, not just music majors. They welcome all students to join the class which meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. every semester. You must register for the class to be in the University Singers choir.

After a few minutes of intermission, the New Pacer Singers were welcomed on stage. The New Pacer Singers are the students who tour the country. It is a smaller ensemble than the University Singers, and these students had to try out in order to be a part of the New Pacer Singers.

The New Pacer Singers will be traveling to the Northwest January 3-9 in 2013. They will be in Oregon and Seattle, Washington to show off their talents they have been working so hard on here at UTM.

The New Pacer Singers are looking forward to their tour dates in January. Mario Ross, a senior finance major and member for four years said, “I am looking forward to exploring these new places and spreading UTM’s name through our song.”

Tim Johnson, a junior vocal music education major, said, “I am just looking forward to representing UT Martin well by sharing the talent of our music department with a distant region of the country.”

Both the University Singers and the New Pacer Singers are two very talented groups of students. They work hard, and their hard work pays off.