By Rocket Belden, Staff Writer
This year’s annual winter choral concert on February 27, was a celebration of community and music at Pellissippi State Community College, as Pellissippi State Concert Chorale and Pellissippi State Variations performed along with the Clinton High School Mixed Ensemble and the L&N STEM Academy Choral Ensemble last Thursday evening. The community came together to show their support for all four groups; students, families, and music enthusiasts alike flooded the Clayton Performing Arts Center auditorium, leaving standing room only for latecomers.
The concert opened with the Pellissippi State Concert Chorale, the non-auditioned choir group directed by Meagan Humphreys. They performed four arrangements, among which was the incredibly moving piece, “Always Something Sings” by Dan Forrest. Humphreys announced that the group had last performed the song during COVID, which kept them from the opportunity to play live, adding that it was “so very wonderful to perform live together.” She noted that the message of the song, that of hope and beauty, is still applicable today.
The group worked hard to prepare for the concert, having only 6 weeks to prepare. It was a “scary quick turnaround,” remarked Variations member and Concert Chorale soloist Alexis Gomez, who added that she was very happy with the group’s hard work to prepare for the performance.
Following the Concert Chorale was Clinton High’s Mixed Ensemble, directed by Oda McCall Bohanan. Bohanan acknowledged Clinton High’s principal, Robbie Herrell, for attending the concert, noting that it is not often administration takes an interest in the music programs of their schools. The Mixed Ensemble played three beautiful pieces, ending with a traditional spiritual piece that earned raucous applause from the audience.
Next up was L&N STEM Academy’s Choral Ensemble, directed by Ross Earl, a recent graduate of Pellissippi State. Both Earl and Bohanan are Pellissippi State alums, and they each spoke to the impact the school had on them.
“They come as students and leave as musicians,” Earl remarked, regarding students of Pellissippi’s music program. The Choral Ensemble also played three pieces, ending with a traditional spiritual featuring three remarkable soloists.
The final group to perform was Pellissippi State Variations, the auditioned choir group also directed by Humphreys. They performed four arrangements, three of which Humphreys described as having “an ache to them.” Their third piece, “Blues for a Green Boy” by Don Macdonald started with a somber tone, yet, within the accompanying piano and the lyrics had a hopefulness to it; soloist Alexis Gomez remarked that it was her favorite song out of all the pieces her company performed.
The group ended with “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord” arranged by Moses Hogan, a traditional spiritual and audience favorite. It was incredibly performed and the perfect piece to end the concert on, receiving a well-earned standing ovation from the audience. Variations will be performing again over spring break in Europe, gracing Prague with their voices.
All four groups performed a traditional spiritual. It is a tradition of Humphrey’s ensembles to end with a traditional spiritual as a way to acknowledge the history of choral singing. According to the Library of Congress, a traditional spiritual is a kind of religious song that African American communities in the American South sang throughout the 18th century leading up to the abolition of slavery. Humphreys acknowledged that the traditional spiritual influenced the choral style that is still sung today, which is why she leads her groups to continue performing songs in the style.
Alexis Gomez leaves aspiring choir members with one piece of advice. “Have a genuine love for music,” she says, “you don’t need a perfect voice or perfect pitch.” Loving music and having fun is all that really counts.
