Bob Jones University’s Concert Choir will perform its fall concert tonight at 5:00 p.m. in the War Memorial Chapel.
Titled “Made in the USA,” the concert will feature American music ranging from varied genres, including sacred, spirituals, folk songs and barbershop. Dr. Beth Eubank, director of the 51-member choir, said the concert covers a wide range of genres and styles.
“It’s not a patriotic concert,” she said. The reason for the title of the concert is the fact that all the featured songs are composed by Americans. Pieces in the program include early music from American composer William Billings as well as music from the more modern American composer, Eric Whitacre.
Along with the voices of the Concert Choir, instrumentalists, such as cellists and violinists, will add variety to the concert. A unique feature of this concert is the body percussion that is involved, in which the singers use clapping and stomping to create sounds that resemble real percussion instruments.
Several brand new pieces that have never been sung before at the University will be featured in this concert. They include the recently published “Alleluia” by Eric Whitacre, the also recently published arrangement of “Nearer My God to Thee” by Dan Forrest, and a version of “Dixie” arranged by the choir’s piano accompanist, Mr. Duane Ream of the music faculty.
According to Eubank, the concert gives the choir members opportunities to enjoy the music and to have fun. “It’s been a unifying experience for us just to be able to sing together,” she said.
Josh Hilliard, a junior journalism and mass communication major who is a member of the Concert Choir, said the piece he enjoys most and looks forward to singing during the concert is Eric Whitacre’s “Alleluia.”
Hilliard is one of the 51 members to perform in the Concert Choir’s fall concert.
“It’s definitely an out-of-the-box performance,” Eubank said, referring to the wide styles that will be featured.