2001-2002 edition (available by email request)
2002-2003 edition

The Shawnee Honor Choir will present its annual Spring Concert in Raley Chapel?s Yarborough Auditorium on the campus of OBU at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 2. The concert is free and open to the public.
 
Shawnee Honor Choir, an auditioned group of 58 fourth- through sixth-graders representing 14 different schools in Shawnee and the surrounding area, is a part of the Preparatory Department of the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts at Oklahoma Baptist University.  Founded in 1982 Shawnee Honor Choir is under the direction of Conchita Hansford, Music Preparatory Director and OBU faculty member since 1990. Erin Parker, a senior music education major, serves as accompanist.

Shawnee Honor Choir performs in 12 schools annually, presents two formal public concerts each year and frequently performs at community events. The choir has performed three times at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association Convention in Tulsa, the most recent being this past January. On Tuesday, April 27, the choir performs at Bethel, Pleasant Grove and Russell Babb Elementary Schools. On Friday, April 30, they perform at Will Rogers, Dale and Sequoyah Elementary Schools.  Schools represented include Dale, Epperly Heights, Grove, Harrah, Home School, Jefferson, McLoud, Meeker, North Rock Creek, Russell Babb in Harrah, Sequoyah, Shawnee Middle School, South Rock Creek and Will Rogers.

Auditions for the coming year will be held Tuesday, May 4, 3:30-5 p.m.and May 17-18, 3:30-5 p.m.  For information about Shawnee Honor Choir or any of the Preparatory Choirs, please call Conchita Hansford at 878-2319.

The choir is dedicated to the philosophy that through the learning and performance of excellent choral literature, the lives of the choir members, as well as the lives of their families and the community will be enriched both musically and artistically. The choir provides a special learning environment designed to provide a rich and rewarding musical experience for each child.  The children study and perform a variety of music from simple unison songs to more challenging choral literature.  Concepts about music (melody, rhythm, harmony, form and expression) and musical skills (singing, music reading, etc.) are taught systematically throughout the rehearsals. Singing, a powerfully personal means of musical expression, is the major focus of musical experience in Shawnee Honor Choir.  The children are taught the use of the vocal instrument through exercise, posture, breath and tone production.  The goal is that the experience of artistic singing will form the foundation of a life long relationship with music for the singers and their families.

Oklahoma Baptist University was well represented at the regional National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions held at Chickasha, Okla., on April 3 and 4.

The Conference was attended by about 160 students and 22 teachers. OBU participants  observed a master class with Joan Wall from Texas Women's University and auditioned in their respective categories.
 
Freshman Bethany Hailey (from the studio of Norma Partridge) placed second in the Freshmen Women?s division. Sophomore Keri Burman (student of Rhetta Hudson) placed second in the Sophomore Women?s division.

Michael Slaughter (student of Norma Partridge) took first place in the Junior Men?s division. Senior Jilian Russell (from the studio of Rhetta Hudson) won the Senior Women?s division.

Additional finalists included freshman Melissa Upton, sophomores Emily Rose and Jennifer Fuller and juniors Lindsey Doolin and Andrea Dent. OBU vocal music faculty members Norma Partridge and Rhetta Hudson attended the event, as did Dr. Ron Lewis, chair of the Keyboard Department.

Drawing riders from Shawnee and surrounding regions, the fourth annual Bison Bicycle Tour took place on April 17. Participants were treated to live music from the Bison Jazz Messengers at registration, and had their choice of 10, 25, and 50 mile routes. Funds raised from the event contributed to scholarships for students studying music at OBU. For more information about the fifth annual event (slated for Saturday, April 16, 2005), contact the Division of Music (405-878-2306).

The Oklahoma Baptist University Division of Music will present Symphonic Psalms as the 2004 Oratorio Project, March 9, at 7:30 in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium.

This work, by former OBU faculty member Michael Cox, is the latest in a long tradition of large choral works produced at OBU. Recent works in the series have included Giacomo Pucciniís Messa di Gloria, the Chichester Psalms of Leonard Bernstein, and Messiah by Handel

Composer Michael Cox graduated from OBU in 1970 with a bachelor of music degree (with honors). He also holds degrees from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and Florida State University. He served as a faculty  member at OBU from 1972-1990, where he taught composition, church music, and directed the Bison Glee Club. Currently he is on the faculty at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he serves as professor of theory and composition.

His latest work, Symphonic Psalms, features eight movements for chorus and orchestra. These movements, with texts from Psalms 8, 23, 47, 90, 95, 103, 117, and 148 are unified by the noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singingÖ."

The piece was commissioned by Scott Oyer, an OBU 1991 church music graduate with an emphasis in conducting. Oyer studied under Dr. Cox and was also a member of the Bison Glee Club.

The movements are of a wide variety of styles and textures, from the stately,  hymn-like "O Come, Let Us Sing" to the more syncopated and rhythmically diverse "O Clap Your Hands."
The performance will also include "Zadok the Priest," an anthem by Georg  Frideric Handel, with text from I Kings 1: 39-40.

"Symphonic Psalms was written by OBU alumnus Dr. Michael Cox as a  commissioned work made possible by the generosity of one of his former students, Scott Oyer (''91)," said Dr. Paul Hammond, Dean of the Warren M.  Angell College of Fine Arts. "The oratorio project has several purposes: to give OBU students experience with major choral works; to perform the works with full instrumentation; to benefit from nationally renowned choral directors; and to  bring students and faculty together as a community of singers."

As instructional as the project is for the students, it also is a memorable experience for everyone involved.

"OBU alumni regularly cite the oratorio as one of their favorite experiences," said Hammond. "While it takes the effort of many faculty and considerable resources,  I believe it greatly enhances our studentsí education and musical growth. We have been privileged to sing under Duncan Couch (Stetson), William Weinert  (Eastman), Donald Neuen (UCLA), Simon Carrington (Yale), and our own   James Woodward and Nancy Cobb Lippens. Dr. David Keith is a preeminent choral conductor, and he will be the first seminary professor to lead us. We are   eagerly anticipating his arrival. Dr. Keith was also the personal choice of the composer to premier this work."

 The OBU Oratorio Project brings together members of each of OBUís choirs, including the Bison Glee Club, University Chorale, Bisonette Glee Club, and Chapel choir. In addition, music majors involved in instrumental studies have an  opportunity to perform as part of the accompanying orchestra.

Music faculty will also participate in the chorus and the orchestra. In addition,   other members of the OBU/Shawnee community have been invited to participate.

Rehearsals will be led by Dr. Bonnie Sneed, associate professor of choral music.  Dr. Sneed is in her first year at OBU.

 "This is a unique opportunity for our students to come together to perform a large-scale work for chorus and orchestra," said Dr. Kristen Stauffer Todd assistant professor of music history. "These two works represent the extremely diverse ways in which composers select and set Biblical texts. I look forward to making music with not only my students, but with other members of the Shawnee community."

                          For more information, please contact the OBU Division of Music at 405-878-2306, or via email at music@okbu.edu

The 30th Annual Concerto-Aria concert was held Monday, February 16.  This year's event, in honor of former OBU professor Dr. Clair McGavern, featured eleven soloists.  Dr. Ron Lewis coordinated the event (as he has done for the past thirty years), Dr. James Vernon conducted, and Dr. Kristen Todd offered a PreConcert Conversation.  For pictures of the event (courtesy of Keith McGavern) and a copy of the program, click here.

Now's the time to make plans for your summer!  Interested in participating in Discoveryland's productions of  Oklahoma! and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? Many OBU students and faculty have participated in these shows in the past -- consider spending your summer getting valuable on-stage, professional experience Auditions will be held in Raley Chapel on Friday, February 27.
For more information, contact Mrs. Rhetta Hudson (405-878-2310)

Four OBU students will be traveling to Bulgaria to attend a workshop in Varna, Bulgaria in May 2004.  Nathaniel Rogers, Rachel Pipkins, Alicja Snyder and Melody Wynn will be singing Eastern Orthodox and Bulgarian Folk music in the native language.  They will be under the direction of Dr. Bonnie Sneed who was invited to conduct as part of the workshop.   The OBU contingent will be staying at a resort on the Black Sea and will tour historically and culturally significant sites as well as doing some outreach visits.  After 6 nights in Bulgaria, the group will have two nights in Prague to finish off their Eastern European experience.

Any additional students who would like to attend are encouraged to contact Dr. Sneed (bonnie.sneed@okbu.edu) or 405-878-2315 immediately.

Members of the Bison Jazz Orchestra have been celebrating jazz on OBU's campus as part of the UCS "Black Box" series.  Several times each semester, Kevin Pruiett and members of the BJO have been participating across campus in a university-sponsored, late-night series.  "Live at the Black Box" regularly features jazz combos (and sometimes the whole BJO), poetry readings, monologues, skits, and all sorts of other entertainments.  The next "black box" is Friday, March 26 at 9:00 in Sarkeys Telecommuncations Center. For more info, contact Mr. Pruiett (kevin.pruiett@okbu.edu) or Assistant Dean of Students Monica Mullins (monica.mullins@okbu.edu)

February 16, 2004 marks the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma Baptist University Division of Music Concerto-Aria Concert.  The concert features eleven OBU music majors performing selected works with an orchestra comprised of OBU students and professional musicians. The concert will be at 8:30 p.m. in OBU's Raley Chapel.

The inaugural event in 1974 was the brainchild of former OBU piano faculty member Clair McGavern, and featured four solo pianists.  McGavern believed that students needed an opportunity to perform large-scale works with orchestra, and initiated the Concerto-Aria project to fill that need.  McGavern served as a member of the OBU faculty for several decades, working as a piano faculty member, assistant dean of the college of fine arts under Dean Warren M. Angell (for whom the college is now named), golf coach, curriculum adviser, and piano technician.

On the 1975 concert McGavern performed the Grieg piano concerto.  Two students are performing movements from this concerto on this year's anniversary concert.

"It is exciting to be able to honor someone who worked so diligently on behalf of the Division of Music," said Dr. Kristen Todd, assistant professor of music history. "I am proud to be associated with a university with such a long tradition of musical excellence."

This year's event is in honor of McGavern's work and will be attended by his wife and son Keith, who currently serves as OBU's piano technician.

Eleven soloists will be featured, including vocalists Lindsay Doolin, Michael Slaughter, Robbie Willingham, Sarah Rose, and Jillian Russell.  Pianists Dustin Tims, Stacey Miller, and Anna Kurtz will also perform.  Instrumentalists on the program include Katie Cease, oboe, and Laura Sowell, clarinet.  Composer Sara Moring will conduct a performance of her honors thesis work, "An Affray of Two Within."

Composers represented on the concert, in addition to Moring, include Johann Strauss, Mozart, Handel, Gounod, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Marcello, Karl Stamitz, and Grieg.

The students are from the vocal studios of OBU faculty members Norma Partridge and Rhetta Hudson, piano studios of Dr. Ron Lewis and Dr. Carol Bell, the oboe studio of Cynthia Thompson, clarinet studio of Dr. Chris Bade, and composition studio of Dr. James Vernon.

Vernon, chair of the Division of Music, will conduct the performance. He stated "Musical performance is the natural and desired outcome of musical study, and this year's Concert-Aria program reflects the dedication of our music majors to study their art.  I am proud towork with such dedicated and competent young musicians.  The concert will be a fine tribute to the legacy of Concert-Aria at OBU and to the future of music performance."

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Division of Music in the Warren M. Angell College of Fine Arts at music@okbu.edu, or 405-878-2306.

Nine OBU students participated in the Intercollegiate Honor Band at the Oklahoma Music Educator's Association annual meeting in Tulsa in January.  They performed under the baton of Colonel Lowell Graham, recently retired conductor of the U.S. Air Force Band, Washington, D.C. (currently Head, Music Department at the University of Texas, El Paso).  Sixteen state universities were represented in the 95 piece Symphonic Band.  Four OBU students, Elise Anderson, Micah Stewart, Eric Mowery, and Annie Lewis, were selected as the principal players in their respective sections.  Additional performers included Katie Cease, Michael Ware, Erin Parker, Laura Sewell, and Beth Weckel.

Faculty participants in the conference included Jim Hansford, James Vernon, Kristen Todd, Bonnie Sneed, and Darla Eshelman.  Conchita Hansford conducted a performance of the Shawnee Honor Choir  at Holy Family Cathedral.

The students come from Dale Elementary, Epperly Heights Elementary, Grove School, Harrah Middle School, Jefferson Elementary, Meeker Elementary, North Rock Creek, Sequoyah Elementary, Shawnee Middle School, South Rock Creek and Will Rogers Elementary, as well as from home schools.

Voice faculty members Rhetta Hudson and Norma Partridge are slated to perform (along with retired Shawnee elementary school teacher Marcia Scott) in a production of Jerry's Girls at the Ritz Theater in downtown Shawnee.  The show  is a musical revue of the works of Jerry Herman, including Hello Dolly, Mame , Milk and Honey, Parade, A Night in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, and La Cage Aux Folles.  It is essentially a 3 woman show (featuring Hudson, Partridge, and Scott).  Carolyn Dougherty, OBU alum and recipient of the 2001 Distinguished Music Alumni Award is also featured.  Carol Bell and Jo Lewis are the pianists.  Hudson, Partridge, and Scott performed this show thirteen years ago at the Shawnee Little Theatre.

The production is produced by Shawnee Little Theater, Ronny Jones director, Rhetta Hudson, musical director and Janet Combes, choreographer.  The first performance is a benefit for the rennovation of the Downtown Ritz Theater.  Dean of the College of Fine Arts Paul Hammond serves on the board of the Ritz Theater Rennovation.

General admission performances will be 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 6 and 7. For tickets, call the Downtown Shawnee, Inc. office at 273-1080.

The Shawnee Honor Choir, part of OBU's Preparatory Department, is slated to perform at the 2004 annual Oklahoma Music Educators' Association meeting in Tulsa. The choir, under the direction of Mrs. Conchita Hansford, is an auditioned group of fourth through sixth graders from Shawnee and the surrounding area.  Students represent 17 different schools from Midwest City to Seminole.   The children study and perform a wide variety of music ranging from simple unison songs to the more challenging two- and three-part choral treble literature.

Mrs. Hansford holds a B.M.E. from Mississippi University for Women, and a masterís in education from Wayland Baptist University.  She has been a member of the OBU music faculty since 1990.

Oklahoma Baptist Universityís annual "Fine Arts Christmas Chapel" will be at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium.

Always a favorite event, this yearís program will again be hosted by Dr. Dan Reeder, dean of OBUís Paul Dickinson School of Business.

Beginning with a Christmas improvisation by staff accompanist Keith Whitmore, the program continues with two pieces from the Bison Jazz Orchestra (directed by Kevin Pruiett) -- "Christmas Time is Here," featuring Andrea Dent as vocalist, and "Sleigh Ride."

The annual "sing-along" follows, led by Dr. Reeder.

The Bison Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. John Simons, will perform "Carol of the Bells" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain."

Following the Glee Club, OBUís Collegium Musicum will make its inaugural appearance, performing "In dulci jubilo" from Musae Sioniae (also known as "Good Christian Men"), by Michael Praetorious.

After a treat from the academic deans, including Dr. Paul Hammond, Dr. Debbie Blue, Dr. Lana Bohlhouse, and Dr. Reeder, the University Ringers will perform "Carolersí
Hoedown," "Carol of the Bells," and an annual favorite, the B.C.Clark Christmas jingle, as arranged by former Ringers director Mary Kay Parrish.

Dr. Jim Colman, senior vice president for academic affairs, will perform "Iím Dreaming of a White Christmas" and "Iíll Be Home for Christmas."

Following an audience performance of "Joy to the World," the Chapel Choir will wrap up the program with "Weíll Dress the House" and "Caroling, Caroling."

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Division of Music at 405-878-2306, or music@okbu.edu

Oklahoma Baptist University placed two music students in the finals of the Texoma region session of the National Association of Teachers of Singing
(NATS) Conference and Student Auditions recently.

Three members of the Oklahoma Baptist University voice faculty, 10 students, and two accompanists recently attended the Texoma region session at Abilene Christian University in Texas along with 582 students, 130 teachers and 107 accompanists from Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma in this years annual three day conference/competition.

Of the ten OBU students attending, four advanced to the semi-final round. Bethany Hailey, freshmen women's division, from the studio of Norma Partridge; Michael Ware, freshmen men's division, from the studio of Jack Pearson; Michael Slaughter, junior men's division, from the studio of Norma Partridge; Jilian Russell, senior women's division, from the studio of Rhetta Hudson all reached the semifinal round. Slaughter and his accompanist, Jill Rother, and Russell and her accompanist, Keith Whitmore, advanced to the final  round, meaning they were among the top five in their respective divisions. Slaughter placed second in the junior men's division and Russell placed fifth in the senior women's division.

The National Association of Teachers of Singing is a professional organization  dedicated to the advancement of the vocal art and particularly the teaching of that art. The USA is divided into 10 regions. The Texoma region, of which Oklahoma   is a part, is one of the strongest and most competitive in the nation. The OBU Division of Music consistently makes a strong showing in this event.

Oklahoma Baptist University's sixty-sixth annual "Hanging of the Green" service will be held Saturday, December 6, 2003, at 7:30 p.m. in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium on the OBU campus.

The theme for this year's ceremony is "Voices of the Advent," a title taken from a book of Christmas poems entitled Voices of the Advent by Dr. William Mitchell, OBU professor emeritus of English. Mitchell's book includes poems written as Christmas gifts to friends and colleagues, and also contains illustrations by William James Brown, professor emeritus of music.  The earliest poem in the collection dates from December, 1973.  The book, released in its third edition in 2000, features works that have been used by several Shawnee-area churches during the Advent season.  Mitchell notes "my greatest satisfaction has come from my deepening understanding of the incarnation -- of what it meant, how central it is to Christianity, and the message of it, which is 'God with us,' or 'Emmanuel.'"

OBU Theatre students Josh Dodd, Jesse Vinyarde, Rose Marie Packer, Stephanie Stewart, and Latricia Reichmann will read excerpts from Mitchell's poetry during the ceremony.

The program will take the format of a "Lessons and Carols" service, a structure typically used in Hanging of the Green services. Musical participants include the OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Jim Hansford, the Red River String Quartet, members of the Bison Glee Club, conducted by Dr. John Simons, and members of the University Chorale and Bisonette Glee Club, conducted by Dr. Bonnie Sneed. Additional participants include the University Ringers, OBU's handbell ensemble, conducted by Dr. Ron Davis, and an student brass ensemble, featuring Aaron Jameson, John King, David Irby, Casey Mobley, and Derek Ferguson. University Organist Dr. Ron Davis and Staff Accompanist Keith Whitmore will participate as accompanists.

Some of the carols to be heard in the service include "The Holly and the Ivy," Joy to the World," "Deck the Halls," "O Come, O Come Immanuel," "Come, Though Long Expected Jesus," "Away in a Manger," "The First Nowell," and "We Three Kings of Orient Are."  Additional works include the "allegro" from the Op. 76 No.2 string quartet of Haydn, a setting of "Feliz Navidad" by OBU graduate Hart Morris, "Oh Star" by Baylor University composer James Bennighof," and "Variations on a Noel" arranged by Dr. Davis.

"The Hanging of the Green service affords the OBU and Shawnee communities an opportunity to welcome in the holiday season by showcasing some of our outstanding student ensembles in a festive and meaningful atmosphere" states Dr. James Vernon, associate professor of music and chair of the Division of Music.

Traditionally, twenty outstanding students nominated by the faculty and subsequently selected by committee as honorees at the Hanging of the Green ceremony.  These students represent a wide variety of majors, disciplines, and hometowns.  Monica Mullins, assistant dean of students, says "OBU's Hanging of the Green is an experience rich with tradition that provides the OBU community an opportunity to honor students who, while very deserving, have not received the recognition they otherwise merit."

This year's honorees include Heidi Burkhart (Choctaw, cross cultural ministry and family development major), Erin Canty Coursey (Shawnee, math major), Kelly Davis (Colorado Springs, Co., nursing major), Elizabeth Diefenderfer (Oklahoma City, family development major), Erin Funk (Aurora, Co., nursing major), Devin Holmes (Meeker, physics major), Tyler James (Marshall, Tx., telecommunications major), Jeff Kasterke (Shawnee, finance major), Aaron Kelley (Clinton, interdisciplinary major), Stephen King (Amarillo, Tx., organ performance major), Mike Latshaw (Lake St. Louis, Mo., religion major), Tiffanie Pearce (Wichita, Ks., speech and drama education major), Bryan Ratanasin (Mustang, Bible major), Andrew Ridgway (Sofia, Bulgaria, English major), Melissa Rogers (Hobbs, NM., English education major), Tristan Shutt (San Antonio, Tx., public relations major), Lauren Stone (Tulsa, family development major), Leslie Tabor (Chickasha, English major), Benny Wallace (Sulphur, cross-cultural ministry major), and Mindy Wolff (Tulsa, multilingual communication major).

The first OBU Hanging of the Green ceremony was held in WMU Memorial Hall, one of the women's dormitories on campus. After the singing of carols, representatives from all dormitories lit candles of good will from the candle at WMU and carried the light to their own halls. The custom of "hanging the green" has continued through the years, though it moved in 1945 to the newly-completed Brittain Hall Library, in 1947 to the University Auditorium, and in 1961 to Raley Chapel.

For more information, please contact the OBU Division of Music, 405-878-2306, or music@okbu.edu.
 
 

The Oklahoma Baptist University Division of Music will present its annual Hymn Festival, "Prayer, Praise, and Proclamation: The Worship of God through A Festival of American Hymnody," at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 in Raley Chapelís Potter Auditorium.

Featuring Dr. Ron Davis, associate professor of organ, and the university''s Chapel Choir, under the direction of Dr. John Simons, the annual event brings together hymns and sacred songs from a wide variety of areas, time periods, and styles.

Coordinated by Davis, it is an opportunity for OBU students, faculty and staff, and Shawnee community music lovers to come together to celebrate the history of sacred song and to participate in some community music making. Some pieces will be sung by the Chapel Choir, some by the audience, and some by everyone in attendance.

 "With all the changes in worship music and worship practice in contemporary society, itís a treat to come together as a community and experience a variety of musical styles and idioms. Itís important to understand where worship music has been, where it has gone, and where it continues to go, and it is equally important  to understand that there isn''t one ''correct'' type of music for worship -- all music, in the appropriate venue, can be construed as worship music," said Dr. Kristen Stauffer Todd, assistant professor of music history.

Ron Davis has been a member of the OBU music faculty since 1987, and continues to coordinate the festival.

This yearís program showcases American hymnody, including shape-note hymns from "The Sacred Harp" and "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion", early American works including "Holy Manna" (commonly known as "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship"), and "We Have Heard the Joyful   Sound" as arranged by Dr. James Vernon, chair of the Division of Music and  associate professor of music composition.

Admission is free, and everyone is welcome. For more information, please  contact the Division of Music at 405-878-2306 or at music@okbu.edu

Current students, prospective students, former students, faculty, staff, anyone who loves music...come one, come all!  The Music Division hosts periodic "Music Division Movie Nights" -- a chance to come together to celebrate music, eat some free food, and watch a great film on some aspect of music. A neat opportunity, to say the least! Past selections have included Amadeus, Shine, The Blues Brothers, and A Song is Born.  Next up: O Brother, Where Art Thou on Friday, November 21 at 7:30 in RC 203. For more info, contact Dr. Chris Bade or Dr. Melissa Roberts.

On Monday, November 17, the Oklahoma Baptist University Division of Music community will join together for a performance of Terry Rileyís 1964 work, "In
C," at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17 in Yarborough Auditorium.

An example of minimalistic composition, "In C" is scored for any number of melodic instruments. The primary compositional idea behind minimalism involves using a small amount of musical material, in this instance 53 musical  "motifs," and stretching it out over a long period of time, and exploring the sounds generated.

OBU''s performance of "In C" is a participatory event. Attendees (including the general public) are welcome to bring an instrument and participate in the reading. The performance will be preceded by opening remarks by Dr. James Vernon, chair of the Division of Music, and Dr. Chris Bade, associate professor of  clarinet. In addition, participants will be treated to the world premiere of a minimalistic work composed by Dr. Vernon and performed by Dr. Bade.

This event is part of the OBU Division of Music''s American Music Month celebration. For more information, contact the Division of Music at 405-878-2306 or music@okbu.edu

On Thursday, November 13 at 7:30, Rhetta Hudson, associate professor of voice at Oklahoma Baptist University, will present the recital "American Popular Song: 1900-1929" at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13 in Raley Chapel's Yarborough Auditorium.

Featuring Hudson, accompanist Ron Lewis, professor of piano, and Kristen Todd, assistant professor of music history, the program explores the evolution of American song from its roots in ragtime and Tin Pan Alley, through New Orleans Style jazz, and into barbershop-style paradigms.

The program includes well-known works like "She's Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage,"  "Down By the Old Mill Stream,"  "Just a Closer Walk with Thee, "The Man I Love," and "With a Song In My Heart," and some lesser-known examples, including "O, What a Pal Was Mary," "Always Take a Girl Named Daisy," and "Won't You Play a Simple Melody."

The program also features members of the OBU faculty Ron Davis, Jon Gruett, Paul Hammond, and John Simons in a barbershop quartet, Chris Bade, Jim Hansford, Kevin Pruiett, and Philip Todd in a New Orleans Style jazz ensemble, and Bryan Kirby and Jo Lewis as pianists.

"To me, this music will be lost as a performing area unless we revive it."  Hudson said. She began studying these pieces several years ago and performs them, as she puts it "as music from my mother's piano bench.  Many songs (on the program) came from my learning them when I was a kid."

Todd, who will be participating as a narrator and delivering some history of the evolution of popular song in American life, suggests that "American popular song as an art form is too valuable to let slip away.  These pieces provide us with a window on the roots of what is now popular song -- indeed, popular culture.  In many ways, the parallels between early 20th-century and early 21st- century popular song are striking.  While now we have music videos and CD covers to illuminate the music, then they used sheet music covers to expand a song's meaning.  Toward that end, we'll be showing a number of sheet music illustrations to expand our exploration into this repertory.  It is indeed an interesting study."

The concert is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact the Division of Music at 405-878-2306, or at music@okbu.edu.

OBU's Bison Glee Club, along with several University faculty members, had  the opportunity to visit with Dr. Warren M. Angell on Wednesday morning, October 8.

Dean Angell, legendary founder of the Bison Glee Club, and longtime dean of OBU's College of Fine Arts, which bears his name, was traveling cross-country with his wife, Twyla, when they decided to stop by the campus.  The Angells were greeted by Dr. Paul Hammond, dean of the College of Fine Arts, and Dr. John Simons, director of the Bison Glee Club. Dean Angell, who turned 96 last May, was in good spirits as he entered Raley Chapel with the aid of two walking canes. He underwent back surgery in August.

The Angells then met the current BGC  members in the Helen Thames Raley Parlor, where the group sang two songs for the Dean, then followed his direction in singing OBU's
Hymn to Alma Mater, which he wrote with Mary Ann Tisinger.

Dean Angell visited with the club members, giving them an impromptu vocal lesson, and sharing a few stories from the founding of the BGC and varied experiences he had while in college. Three times the Dean was hailed with applause from the current students.

Several fine arts faculty members also visited with Dean Angell, as he once again demonstrated his ability to recall details about  the lives of his students and former colleagues.

For a short QuickTime clip of Dean Angell conducting the Alma Mater, click here. For an MPG, click here.

The annual M&Ms Pops Concert turned twenty this year, and the music division celebrated with a reunion. Past band and Bison Jazz Orchestra directors Ron Howell, Stephen Goforth, and Pancho Romero joined the bands for fun, frolic, marching children, an appearance by Darth Vader, and a whole lot of candy.  This event marked the "retirement" of Jim Brown, the master of ceremonies for each of the twenty concerts.  DVD recordings will soon be available -- for information contact Dr. Jim Hansford (405-878-2307).

This fall the Division of Music has hosted two outstanding guest lecturers.  First, Dr. David Music, professor of church music at Baylor University delivered the Pi Kappa Lambda fall lecture entitled "Shape Note Hymnody in the American South."  Then, Dr. Ron Pen, director of the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the University of Kentucky spoke on "Witches' Cackles and Ghostly Moans: Toward an Audeography of Halloween."

On September 4, 2003, Mr. Kevin Pruiett, assistant professor of trumpet, gave the first faculty recital of the year. The performance included works by Tartini, Ewazen, and Copland, and featured members of OBU's keyboard faculty (Dr. Ron Lewis, Dr. Melissa Roberts, Dr. Carol Bell, and Dr. Ron Davis).  Pruiett will travel to the University of Illinois to present the recital as part of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

On Saturday, September 27 the Division of Music will celebrate the beginning of the new academic year with the "music olympics," celebrating the music of Polish composer Andrzej Panufnik.  Students and faculty will participate in various events, enjoy a pizza feast, and return to Raley Chapel to watch Shine, featuring Geoffrey Rush.  All music majors and music faculty (past, present and future) are invited to participate!  For more information contact Dr. Chris Bade, 405-878-2308.

This fall, the OBU Division of Music welcomes Dr. Bonnie Sneed,  Associate Professor of Music.  Dr. Sneed comes to OBU from the University of Alabama at Huntsville.  Her duties at OBU include directing both the University Chorale and Women's Glee Club (The Bisonettes), and teaching courses in conducting and choral procedures.  Dr. Sneed holds degrees from Furman University, Southern Methodist University, and Michigan State University.