MC Singers Spring Concert to feature music of newer composers

Psalm 96, widely attributed to King David, exhorts the whole world to worship God as the only true Creator and righteous Judge, and to “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

The MC Singers, Mississippi College’s premier choral ensemble, will take that Scripture to heart during their spring concert, “A New Song,” scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, March 20, in Provine Chapel on the Clinton campus.

Beth Everett, MC assistant professor and director of choral activities, said that because the Psalm is the inspiration for the MC Singers’ performance, the concert will feature music of newer composers, including many with Mississippi connections.

“One of my personal missions as an educator, musician and conductor is to always be a perpetual learner,” Everett said. “There are newer composers whose music I have never conducted who write wonderful music. I thought I needed to include them for my own betterment as well as my students – especially those who are about to become music educators.”

The program will feature a Latin piece, “Exsultate” by Richard Waters, a former faculty member at Delta State University. Everett and Waters served as judges at last fall’s Riverland Choral Festival.

“I was planning this concert, and I told him I wanted to do one of his pieces,” Everett said. “I asked him for suggestions, and he said this piece – which was commissioned by the University of Mississippi – was great for an opener.”

Afterward, Everett will hand the baton off to Hunter Crockett, her graduate assistant, who will conduct the MC Singers’ performance of “Miracles” by J.D. Frizzell. Frizzell, choral director at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee, and Everett were classmates at the University of Southern Mississippi.

The centerpiece of the program is “Illuminare,” by Elaine Hagenberg.

“She is one of the composers who inspired me to do this concert, because she writes wonderful music, and I’ve never conducted any of it before,” Everett said. Robert Knupp, MC professor of music, will accompany the MC Singers on the organ.

The MC Singers will perform a second piece by Hagenberg, “My Song in the Night,” and a selection by composer Ola Gjeilo.

“We’re doing his setting of ‘Ubi Caritas,’ which is ‘Where there is love,’” Everett said. “It fits very well with the rest of the programming.”

A spiritual, “Ezekiel Saw the Wheel,” arranged by Stacey Gibbs – another adjudicator at last fall’s Riverland Choral Festival – will close the concert.

“It’s a challenging piece because it divides our group into two choirs,” Everett said. “Since I’ve never conducted this music before, I’m learning it along with the students. I try to stay ahead of them, but it’s a challenge. We’re all in this together, and they need to see me go through the process of learning a piece.

“I’m trying to encourage them to want to do the same thing. No matter what field they go into, no matter how long they’ve been working, they still need to keep learning.”

She said the audience will connect with the pieces by local composers.

“Any time you can present music inspired by someone who is right around you, it gives people a greater connection. Although they may not have heard it before, they're more open to things that are inspired by where they live.

“Music is not something for which Mississippi should be overlooked. One of the state’s slogans is ‘Birthplace of America's music.’ This concert is just one more way that we can demonstrate how much music can be inspired right here in Mississippi.”

Tickets for the Spring Concert will be available at the door for $10 each, $5 for students and children, and free for MC faculty, staff and students with an MC ID.