Oak Ridge Today

First United Methodist hosts ETSU BucsWorth Men’s Ensemble on Friday

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ETSU BucsWorth Men's Ensemble (Submitted photo)

ETSU BucsWorth Men’s Ensemble (Submitted photo)

 

As part of the Newsong Concert Series, First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge will host the East Tennessee State University BucsWorth Men’s Ensemble on Friday, April 21, at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary. All are welcome to attend. The suggested donation is $10, a press release said.

BucsWorth Men’s Choir was formed in the early 1990s at East Tennessee State University as a primarily a capella chamber ensemble called “10 BucsWorth”—which referred to the number of guys in the ensemble and a play-on-words reference to the ETSU mascot, the Buccaneers, the press release said. In 2013, the ensemble was expanded to a full men’s choir under the direction of Alan Stevens. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chorus will perform Broadway classics, American music

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Oak Ridge Chorus Director Jaclyn Johnson is pictured above with the Oak Ridge Chorus. (Submitted photo)

Oak Ridge Chorus Director Jaclyn Johnson is pictured above with the Oak Ridge Chorus. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Chorus will perform Broadway classics and American music in a concert on Saturday, April 29.

The concert is presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association. The chorus is led by Chorus Director Jaclyn Johnson, who was recently appointed.

It will be a “delightful evening of American music,” a press release said.

The concert will start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge.

It will feature inspirational music of America and its people through folk songs, spirituals, and many well-known classics of the Broadway stage, including music from “Les Miserables,” “Hairspray,” and “Wicked,” the press release said. [Read more…]

St. Mary’s student participates in National Honor Choir in Minnesota

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Anna Kasemir, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge, participated in the American Choral Directors Association 2017 National Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir in March in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was accompanied by her music teacher, music teacher, Carol Villaverde. (Photo courtesy St. Mary's)

Anna Kasemir, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge, participated in the American Choral Directors Association 2017 National Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir in March in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was accompanied by her music teacher, Carol Villaverde. (Photo courtesy St. Mary’s)

 

Anna Kasemir, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge, recently participated in the American Choral Directors Association 2017 National Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir.

More than 4,400 singers auditioned to participate in the three conference honor choirs. Of the 298 singers selected to sing in the Junior High/Middle School choir, Kasemir was the only singer from the state of Tennessee.

The ACDA National Conference was hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from March 8-11. The event involved more than 5,000 attendees, in which all fifty states were represented as well as 30 foreign countries, a press release said.

The Junior High/Middle School Honor Choir performed in two concerts on Saturday, March 11. [Read more…]

Roane State music students attend Country Radio Seminar in Nashville

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These five Roane State music students attended the Country Radio Seminar held in downtown Nashville last month. In front, from left: Bryce Laughlin, Raegan Kennedy and Elana Douglas. Behind them: Olivia Parker, left, and Cassi Maggard. Also attending was Roane State Humanities Dean Myra Peavyhouse. (Photo courtesy Roane State)

These five Roane State music students attended the Country Radio Seminar held in downtown Nashville last month. In front, from left: Bryce Laughlin, Raegan Kennedy, and Elana Douglas. Behind them: Olivia Parker, left, and Cassi Maggard. Also attending was Roane State Humanities Dean Myra Peavyhouse. (Photo courtesy Roane State)

 

For the fourth consecutive year, Roane State was the only two-year educational institution in Tennessee whose students were invited to participate as volunteers at the Country Radio Seminar in downtown Nashville.

The three-day event brings together some of the leading notables in country music, a press release said. It’s an annual convention designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the country music industry. There were more than 2,500 attendees last year.

The seminar’s agenda included performances, presentations, informative panels, and educational opportunities.

Attending were Roane State music students Elana Douglas, Bryce Laughlin, Cassi Maggard, Raegan Kennedy, and Olivia Parker. Myra Peavyhouse, Roane State’s Dean of Humanities, also attended. [Read more…]

Local students selected for master class with renowned violinist

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Top row from left above are Kate Hausladen, Michael Ma, and Rachel Barton Pine; and bottom row from left are Sidney Matlock and Hannah Shipstad. (Submitted photos)

Top row from left above are Kate Hausladen, Michael Ma, and Rachel Barton Pine; and bottom row from left are Sidney Matlock and Hannah Shipstad. (Submitted photos)

 

Four East Tennessee students have been selected to participate in a special master class with celebrated concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine on Friday.

The master class is from 3-5 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center. It’s part of a series of concerts and outreach activities featuring Pine and presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association.

Kate Hausladen is a 15-year-old sophomore at Oak Ridge High School. She began playing violin at the age of four, studying with Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra violist Susan Shor, and has been studying with Karen Kartal for the past six years. She has been a member of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra Association since 2010, and she has played in the Youth Orchestra for the past two years. She has been chosen to play in the Youth Aliyah annual concert in Oak Ridge several times and was selected to the All East and All State orchestras in 2016.

Hausladen is also a competitive soccer player and was All State for the 300-meter hurdles in 2016.

She will perform “Rondo,” the last movement in “Symphonie Espagnole” by Edouard Lalo.

Michael Ma is a senior at Oak Ridge High School. [Read more…]

Service of Psalms on Apr. 2 at First United Methodist Church

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Choir directors Seth O’Kegley (FUMC) and Anna Thomas (FPC), as well as organist Simon Hogg (SSEC) chat while composer John Purifoy plays piano. (Submitted photo)

Choir directors Seth O’Kegley (FUMC) and Anna Thomas (FPC), as well as organist Simon Hogg (SSEC) chat while composer John Purifoy plays piano. (Submitted photo)

 

Six choirs, with members from three states, will perform in the third and last Service of Psalms for the Lenten season, which will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at First United Methodist Church, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The service will consist of reflections by local pastors and choral and instrumental performances of psalms selected for Lent that have been set to music by Knoxville composer John Purifoy, a press release said.

An offering collected during the service will be donated to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachia. ADFAC, an independent nonprofit agency located in Oak Ridge that is celebrating its 30th anniversary, serves the basic needs of primarily low-income residents in Anderson and surrounding Appalachian counties.

Running from Ash Wednesday to Easter, Lent is a season in the church year that is marked by an examination of one’s personal faith and spiritual journey.

Steve Boyce, cantor, will sing solo verses or passages to which the choir and congregation will respond. [Read more…]

Community Band Concert is April 2 at ORHS

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Pictured above is Deidre Ford, who will be singing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" in the Community Band Concert in Oak Ridge on April 2, 2017. (Submitted photo)

Pictured above is Deidre Ford, who will be singing “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” in the Community Band Concert in Oak Ridge on April 2, 2017. (Submitted photo)

 

On Sunday afternoon April 2, the Oak Ridge Wind Ensemble/Community Band will present its last concert of the 2016-2017 “Exploring Our Roots in Wind Band Music” series. The “Music of North America” performance will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The April 2 concert promises to be an exceptionally entertaining show featuring music by outstanding American composers such as Gershwin, Leroy Anderson, John Phillip Sousa, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Henry Fillmore, and others presenting a variety of selections ranging from dixieland, classical, gospel, jazz, and cajun two-step to marches, show tunes, and light pop, a press release said.

The Community Band is also pleased to present trumpet soloist Tim Michaels, vocal soloist Deidre Ford, and the band’s own Dixieland ensemble with trombonist Don Batchelor, clarinetist Deidre Ford, trumpet player Tim Ford, tuba player Tim Powers, and percussionist Cindy Redd, the press release said. [Read more…]

Celebrated violinist Rachel Barton Pine to perform in Oak Ridge

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Violinist Rachel Barton Pine (Submitted photo)

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine (Submitted photo)

 

There will be a series of performances and outreach activities featuring internationally renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine in late March and early April, a press release said.

The events, scheduled from March 30-April 2, are presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association.

Pine is an American violinist who made her solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 10, and she was the first American and youngest ever gold medal winner of the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition, the press release said.

Saturday, April 1: [Read more…]

ORHS Orchestra wins top national orchestra award for second straight year

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Oak Ridge High School Orchestra pictured at Universal Studios on Day 3 of Festival Disney on Saturday, March 11, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORHS Orchestra)

The Oak Ridge High School Orchestra is pictured at Universal Studios on Day 3 of Festival Disney on Saturday, March 11, 2017. (Photo courtesy ORHS Orchestra)

 

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra has won a top national orchestra award for the second year in a row, officials said.

The ORHS won Best 10-12th Grade Orchestra, Gold Orchestra Award, Outstanding Soloist, Best 9th Grade Orchestra, with Superior and Excellent Awards at the Festival Disney competition in Orlando, Florida, this past weekend, Director Doug Phillips said.

The ORHS Orchestra also won Best High School Orchestra one year ago, in a competition in New York City last March. The orchestra earned 11 total awards during that trip.

“It’s official: ORHS 10-12 orchestra back-to-back national champs!” ORHS Orchestra posted on Twitter after this year’s awards were announced in Orlando on Saturday, March 11.

Festival Disney is endorsed by the National Association for Music Education and also the Grammys, Phillips said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Philharmonia has open house Sunday; bring your instrument if you’d like to play

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The Oak Ridge Philharmonia performs at Cokesbury United Methodist Church in 2016. (Submitted photo)

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia performs at Cokesbury United Methodist Church in 2016. (Submitted photo)

 

By Dale Gedcke

Would you like to join an ensemble that plays famous Baroque, Classical, and Contemporary music…with strings attached?

The March 12 Open House with the Oak Ridge Philharmonia may be the opportunity you need to explore the benefits of playing with this excellent orchestra. Bring your instrument, and discuss the possibilities with Director/Conductor Marcelo Urias, the board members, and current players in the Philharmonia.

Refreshments will be served, and you may be able to play a few pieces with us, just for fun, while you are there. No auditions are necessary. Within a few rehearsals, you will be able to decide whether you and the orchestra are a fulfilling match.

Aspiring musicians typically encounter little difficulty locating concert bands in which to play. But orchestras, with the full complement of strings added to the woodwinds and brass, are hard to find. Even experienced professionals have to compete intensely for the scant positions open in sparse, professional orchestras.

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is a community orchestra dedicated to committed volunteers. It presents a rare opportunity for musicians who want to polish their skills, while enjoying playing with the full spectrum of sounds only the combination of woodwinds, brass, and strings can deliver. [Read more…]

Semi-animated musical show Saturday at Grove Theater

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Pink House performers

“The Pink House: A Tale of Two Faces” will be presented on Saturday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Grove Theater.

This traveling, semi-animated variety show hosts eminent local musicians in an ongoing epic about an artist and his various misadventures, a press release said.

The show is illustrated by Desmond Darko of Oak Ridge. It is voice-acted by Darko, Courtney Harvey, and Austin Puckett.

Musical guests are Mojlae, a folk guitarist who experiments with electronic and synthetic sounds, and The Shut Inns, an alternative rock band that uses grunge and punk influences. To hear samples of Mojlae’s music, visit https://soundcloud.com/mojlae. [Read more…]

See the 2017 Secret City Festival schedule here

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Secret City Festival Flyer 2017

See the Secret City Festival schedule of events above. The events start Friday, June 2, and end June 17.

Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are available. For more information, contact sponsor@celebrateoakridge.org.