Published: November 03, 2009 10:14 pm      

JC choir, wind ensemble opens fall concert season

By Nathan Straus

nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com



The Jacksonville College choir and wind ensemble is revved up for the campus’ annual Fall Opening Concert.

Set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the concert will bring a crowd to the college’s Buckner Chapel to hear a wide variety of music.

Gerald Orr, chair of the music department and choir director, said the concert will mark the opening of the travel season for the group of 28 freshman and sophomore students.

“We’ll sing at churches and conventions,” Orr said. “There will be a closing concert in April.”

Orr said his choir students are ready for the show, and look forward to delivering some quality music.

“We’ve got some good talent here,” he said. “Some have had vocal experience in high school.”

Kara Smith, a freshman early childhood education major from Waxahachie, said she joined the choir because of her love for music.

“I’m looking forward to the concert,” she said. “It’s music I grew up with.”

Orr said the students will sing pieces from many different periods in music history. There will be Christian hymns and more secular music as well.

“We sing a varied program from different styles in history,” Orr said. “It is a culmination of what we’ve been studying.”

He hopes to see a full house of at least 200 people Thursday night. The concert is free and open to the public. Orr said the concert usually draws a decent crowd.

Beside the students learning to sing in front of a large crowd, the night allows parents to see their sons and daughters sing, and warms the students up for the traveling season.

Smith said her family will be at the concert to listen and said she looks forward to meeting new people while singing for churches and conventions.

Though the full traveling schedule has not been set yet, Orr said he expects to visit Arkansas, Missouri and many parts of Texas on the tour. About 25-30 shows are performed each year. Each tour features different destinations.

Orr also said he encourages Jacksonville and other area residents to visit Buckner Chapel for the concert to listen to some high-quality music from a variety of time periods and genres.