The Maryville College Concert Choir from Maryville, Tennessee will lead us in worship on Sunday, March 10, 2019.
The Maryville College Concert Choir was organized in 1917 for the purpose of singing vesper services and was appropriately named the Vesper Choir. It became a part of the music curriculum in 1936 and underwent a name change to the “Maryville College Concert Choir” in 1954. Of the numerous fine directors, the one with the longest tenure is Dr. Harry H. Harter, who led the group from 1947 until his retirement in 1981. Current director is Stacey Murphy Wilner, who is the director of choral activities at Maryville College. Wilner has served as past president and as the repertoire and standards chair of the Tennessee chapter of ACDA.
Today, members of the Concert Choir serve as musical ambassadors for the college, touring both domestically and internationally. Participation is by audition only and many of the students are music or choral scholarship recipients. Students assist in hosting All East Chorus in November, participate in an annual fall retreat and host a benefit Invitational Choir Festival, to support non-profit groups such as the Blount County Boys and Girls Club, the Joy of Music School and Africa-Eli. Performances throughout the year also include Homecoming Choir Concert, A Maryville Christmas, Spring Homecoming Concerts, Knoxville Opera’s “Rossini Festival”, and performances at area churches and other events in the community throughout the year.
As part of 2016 “Journey to the Heartland” tour to Scotland, the Concert Choir performed at St. Andrew’s University with the St. Salvator’s Chapel Choir. In January of 2018 and in February of 2019, the Concert Choir hosted artist-in-residence Paul Phoenix, a grammy award winning former member of the The King’s Singers. The choir participates in master classes each year with professional musicians such as Cantus, Jacqui Horner-Kwiatek formerly of Anonymous 4, Dr. Joe Miller of Westminster Choir Collegeand most recently with Voces8. The Concert Choir performed at the Tennessee Music Educators Association State Conference in Nashville in April of 2013 and 2017. The “Make Our Garden Grow”spring choir tour in March will include locations such as Spartanburg SC, Fernandina Beach FL, Sarasota FL, Clearwater FL and Valdosta GA.
Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, Maryville College is a nationally ranked institution of higher learning that successfully joins the liberal arts and professional preparation in partnership with others. The philosophy of the students in the Concert Choir closely follows that of Maryville College founder Isaac Anderson, which is “to do good on the largest possible scale”.
HOSTS NEEDED
Homes are needed to host the singers in groups of 2 or 3 (or more). Hosts will need to pick up the singers at 8pm at the Chapel on Saturday, March 9. You’ll want to have some evening snacks and offer breakfast. Willing to host? Sign up below!