Dr. Phillip Stockton is hearing good things at Mississippi University for Women. The Department of Music’s choral director, now in his second year at the school, is pleased with how much vocalists retained during the summer break. He is also impressed with their commitment to excellence. Both will be displayed in a fall concert Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Poindexter Hall on campus.
The MUW Chamber Singers (women and men), Women’s Chorale and University Chorus (men) are putting final touches on the repertoire they will present to the community.
“It’s a very eclectic concert,” said Stockton Wednesday. The program includes a mixture of sacred and secular pieces and spirituals.
Stockton noted several highlights, including “Inscription of Hope,” by Z. Randall Stroope. The profound and moving text, written on a cellar wall during the rise of Nazi Germany, joins with original music to create a deeply emotional expression of hope for mankind.
“The men will sing it,” said Stockton. “It’s a beautiful piece, somber yet uplifting.”
He noted other diverse compositions, such as the Chamber Singers’ “Locus Iste” by Anton Bruckner, and Hall Johnson’s arrangement of “Ain’t Got Time to Die.”
“Mostly I think the job of a university is to educate. I enjoy exposing people to music they may not have heard before,” explained the choral director.
One of Stockton’s aims is to develop a more regional presence for the choral ensembles that number about 60 students. They are well on their way. The students performed very recently for alumni events in Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida. The upcoming schedule calls for performances in Tupelo, Natchez, Ocean Springs, Memphis, Tennessee and New Orleans. A goal is to perform at the state music convention in Hattiesburg.
The university and community are intertwined, Stockton said, adding that one of the school’s roles should be as a cultural center.
“I encourage the community to come hear this,” he invited. “It’s about one hour, with a very laid-back atmopshere. You can be relaxed and get to hear some beautiful music.”
The concert is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact the Department of Music, 662-241-6399.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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