Chattanooga, three stops in Georgia and bookend performances in Blount County are on the itinerary for the Maryville College Concert Choir’s 2022 Spring Choir Tour, the group’s first in three years.
The theme, according to MC Director of Choral Activities Stacey Wilner, is “May We Sing Together, Always” — serendipitous, she added, given that this year’s tour sees the annual event resurrected after being canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
“After a couple of years of masking, distancing and singing in performance halls with empty seats, the MC Concert Choir will once again have the opportunity to travel and perform for live audiences,” Ms. Wilner said. “Traditions are a very important part of the Maryville College choral experience, and we are excited to have the opportunity to tour this spring. Because our tour to England and Scotland was canceled in the spring of 2020, only the seniors in the Concert Choir have ever been a part of this time-honored experience.”
The tour season kicks off at 4 p.m. Feb. 27 at First United Methodist Church in Maryville. After a tour send-off on March 9, the choir will perform March 10 in Chattanooga; March 11 in Rome, Georgia; and March 13 in both Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia. The annual Choir Tour Homecoming concert is scheduled for March 29 at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the Maryville College campus.
The concerts will feature choral selections that celebrate singing, according to Ms. Wilner, including “How Can I Keep From Singing?,” arranged by Sarah Quartel; “Sing Me to Heaven,” by Daniel Gawthrop; and “Sing Quietly,” by Eric Whitacre. Other works on the program include sacred selections for the Easter liturgical season, including “Media Vita” by Irish composer Michael McGlynn and “Dies Irae” from Requiem by Michael John Trotta. Additional numbers will include “Skye Boat Song,” arranged by Paul Lankford, and “Hard Time,” by Stephen Foster.
“The theme for our tour comes from Eric Whitacre’s composition ‘Sing Gently,’ which was dedicated to every person who played a part in the virtual choir community,” Ms. Wilner said. “The tour theme illustrates the students’ dedication to the choral art and the sense of community it creates. Essentially, choral performance is about connecting to the human spirit, and this is more easily accomplished in person.
“These have been very challenging times for choral ensembles worldwide,” she added. “We want to express our appreciation to all the host churches and to the college administration for realizing the importance of this student experience and for supporting the tour.”
The traditional MC Concert Choir Tour Send-Off will take place at 12:15 p.m. March 9 in the Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall of the Clayton Center for the Arts. The ensemble will perform a mini-concert, which is free and open to the public.
In addition, the choir’s annual homecoming concert, celebrating its return from a successful tour, will take place at 7 p.m. March 29 in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center. Tickets to that performance are $10 and can be purchased at the Clayton Center Box Office by calling 865-981-8590. Admission is free for MC faculty, staff and students.
Other dates on the tour include:
4 p.m. Feb. 27 at First United Methodist Church, 804 Montvale Station Road in Maryville;
7 p.m. March 10 at Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave. in Chattanooga;
7 p.m. March 11 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1941 Shorter Ave. in Rome, Georgia;
11 a.m. March 13 for the Morningside Presbyterian Church worship service, 1411 N. Morningside Drive NE in Atlanta; and
4 p.m. March 13 at First Presbyterian Church, 800 S. Enota Drive NE in Gainesville, Georgia.
All concerts are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.
For more information, contact Ms. Wilner at (865) 981-8151 or stacey.wilner@maryvillecollege.edu, or Kathleen Farnham, MC director of church relations, at (865) 981-8217 or kathleen.farnham@maryvillecollege.edu.