Members of the Heritage and Chamber singers at Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, recently participated in a choir tour and the Department of Music’s annual Masterworks Festival.
“I really wanted to do an overnight tour,” said Dr. Allen Clements, director of choral activities and assistant professor of music. “The tour served as a really good bonding experience for the group.”
The Heritage Singers is a group of 40 to 60 vocalists which concentrates on the preparation of a wide variety of discriminate choral literature. The Chamber Singers is an ensemble of 18 to 24 singers which focuses on chamber literature in a variety of styles.
The two choirs performed at Arkadelphia High School, Lakeside High School, Lake Hamilton High School, Parkview Magnet High School, and Little Rock Central High School.
“I also see this tour as an opportunity to use the music more than once and can perform it for an appreciative audience,” said Clements.
In the future, Clements said his goal was to expand the tour to two or three days and travel toward Texas.
On April 30, four high schools participated in the 11th annual Masterworks Festival sponsored by the Department of Music and the College of Liberal and Performing Arts. The schools were El Dorado High School, Haughton High School from Haughton, La., Lutheran High School from Little Rock, and Norphlet High School.
“This is a good experience for all of the students who participated,” said Clements.
The high school choirs spent all morning on the SAU campus and then practiced in the afternoon. The SAU choirs performed and then each of the high schools had an opportunity to present their own music.
