MC Choir invited to perform with famed St. Olaf Choir

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2009
Contact: Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu

The Maryville College Concert Choir will perform with the famed St. Olaf Choir Feb. 1 during a special concert sponsored by the Huntsville (Ala.) Chamber Music Guild.

The concert is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntsville. In addition to the St. Olaf Choir, the MC choir will perform F. Melius Christiansen’s arrangement of “Beautiful Savior” with the concert choirs of the University of Alabama-Huntsville and the Huntsville Community Chorus.

Seventy-five voices strong, the St. Olaf Choir is the premier choral ensemble of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., and one of the pioneer a cappella choirs in the United States. For more than three-quarters of a century, the choir has set a standard of choral excellence and remained at the forefront of choral artistry.

Directed since 1990 by Anton Armstrong, the St. Olaf Choir continues to develop the tradition that originated with Christiansen, its founder. The choir has been invited to perform in such venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the White House.

“This is such a great opportunity for the students of Maryville College to be able to hear the St. Olaf Choir perform live, but especially to sing with the St. Olaf Choir and work with their esteemed director, Anton Armstrong,” said Stacey Wilner, director of the choir and coordinator of choral music at Maryville College. “Since its founding, the St. Olaf Choir has served as a model for choirs of all levels. Historically, the choir and its directors have been key players in the development of choral music in the United States.”

For some members of the MC choir, this is the second trip to Huntsville, Ala., to perform. During the fall of 2007, Off Kilter, a vocal ensemble of 10 members of the choir, was invited to perform in an open educational rehearsal presented by the world-renowned King’s Singers of the United Kingdom.

To purchase tickets for the Feb. 1 concert, call 256.824.6540 or visit hcmgconcerts.uah.edu.

The MC Concert Choir will also be the featured guest choir at the 11 a.m., Feb. 1 service of the First Presbyterian Church of Huntsville, located at 307 Gates Ave. SE.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.