On Sunday, students and members of the community alike gathered at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger Chapel to listen to Milligan’s Concert Choir and the Highlands Youth Ensemble.
The concert was conducted by Dr. Noah DeLong, who has been a part of Milligan’s music faculty since 2011, and Jane DeLoach Morison, who presided of the Highlands Youth Ensemble, a group of high school students from the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia regions.
The program consisted of nearly 20 songs, alternating between the Milligan Women’s Chorale, the Milligan Concert Choir, the Highlands Youth Ensemble, and a combination of all of the above. Some of the featured songs included “How Can I Keep From Singing?,” “Celtic Gloria,” “Nelly Bly,” “Alleluia” and “Deep River.”
Reagan Jeffers, a junior political science major and member of the Concert Choir and Women’s Chorale, said of the concert, “We had a diverse display of music. This concert and some of the pieces were difficult to learn. We have a really hard working group of men and women who are dedicated to working together, and that ultimately allowed us to succeed on even the most challenging pieces.”
The Highlands Youth Choir collaboration with Milligan’s Concert Choir on “The Irish Spring” will not be the last, as they are scheduled to travel with Milligan’s Choir to Ireland this summer to perform. Jeffers also mentioned that she enjoys singing with the Highlands Choir, because “they are an incredible group of kids and they work so hard. Working with them has been an amazing experience because, in a way, we get to mentor young people and encourage them to keep pursuing their love of song.”
Stay tuned for other upcoming events marking the end of the semester. The Milligan Orchestra will be performing “The Poetry of Music” on April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Seeger Chapel, and Heard Mentality, Heritage and Women’s Chorale will be performing in “Buffalo A Cappella Bash” on April 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gregory Center.
For the complete list of upcoming events visit https://www.milligan.edu/arts/.