OBU Presents Young Singers' Christmas Concert

Article Date

November 22, 2005

Young Singers of Central Oklahoma will hold their annual Christmas concert at Oklahoma Baptist University, Sunday, December 4, 3 p.m., in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium.



The concert will include traditional Christmas carols as well as contemporary Christmas arrangements. The event is free and open to the public.

Formerly known as Music Preparatory Honor Choirs, YSCO is a community choral music program which offers vocal instruction and performance opportunities for singers ranging in age from seven to 18.

"Three students from last year's concert are presently freshman music majors at OBU," said Dr. Darla Eshelman, OBU associate professor of music education. "We hope to continue encouraging and recruiting students from these choirs to attend OBU."

Eshelman serves as the director of YSCO while OBU music education students are given the opportunity to serve as student conductors, accompanists and assistants for the choir.

This year, student conductors include Katie Cease, a senior music education major from Tulsa, Okla.; Heather Davidson, a sophomore music education major from Shawnee, Okla.; Bethany Hailey, a junior music education major from Raleigh, N.C.; and Jeff Murdock, a junior music education major from Hobbs, N.M.



Student accompanists include Hailey, Clara Sanders, and Heather Smith, a sophomore music education and piano performance major from Shawnee, Okla.



Young Singers of Central Oklahoma is a joint effort of four choirs including Apprentice Choir, Concert Choir, Shawnee Honor Choir, and Youth Honor Chorale. The four choirs will join together on the last piece, "Night of Silence" composed by Daniel Cantor.

Apprentice Choir, directed by Amber Crawley, consists of a non-auditioned group of singers, grades two through six.

Concert Choir, directed by Eshelman, is represented by students from area elementary and junior high schools. The choir has performed for the Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Conference in Virginia, the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Convention in Tulsa, and the American Choral Directors National Convention in Los Angeles. The choir has been invited to perform in the Pacific Rim Children's Choral Festival in Hawaii in the Summer of 2007.

Shawnee Honor Choir, directed by Conchita Hansford, consists of an auditioned group of singers, grades four through six, from Shawnee and the surrounding area. The choir performs annually in 12 area schools, presents two formal public concerts, and performs at community events. They have also performed three times for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Convention in Tulsa.

Shawnee Honor Choir members featured in the concert will include soloists Drew Crawley, Kasey Kinsey, and Jenna Quantz; instrumentalists Sarah Anderson, Alex Argo, Joseph Brasher, Christopher Couch, Josiah Dame, Kendra Haslam, Catherine Longest, Rebeckah McCreary, Emma Patterson, Nathan Poole, Meg Reeder, Jasmine Robinson, Caitlyn Swinney, Bailey Thompson, and Samantha Willoughby; and speakers Logan Davis, Graeson Griffin, Kelsey Keener, Ashley Poe, Jeremy Richardson, Aleksandra Seiger, and Zachary Simmons.

Youth Honor Chorale, directed by Eshelman, has performed for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Convention in Tulsa. The choir has received an invitation to join with three area high school choirs for a performance at Carnegie Hall in March 2007.

Youth Honor Chorale members featured in the concert will include instrumentalists Michael Colman, Isabel Sanders, and Tim O'Gwynn.