Spring Choral Concert to Feature A Cappella and Folk Music

The Ashland University Chamber Singers, the Women's Chorus and the a cappella ensemble Surround Sound present their spring choral concert on Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.  The performance is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, will conduct the Chamber Singers as they perform selections made famous by the best singing groups of their generation while tracing some of the history of the a cappella pop/jazz choral movement over several decades. 

The Chamber Singers will sing Ward Swingle's arrangement of J. S. Bach's Bourree made popular by the Swingle Singers, and Java Jive by Drake and Oakland as arranged by Shaw and sung by the Manhattan Transfer; to Daryl Runswick's arrangement of Paul McCartney's Blackbird as performed by the King’s Singers; Peter Eldridge's Come Home as sung by New York Voices; and Peder Karlsson's Gøta as recorded by the Real Group.

Continuing with the a cappella-theme, the student-led a cappella ensemble Surround Sound will perform three tunes including Bastille's Pompeii, Meghan Trainor's Dear Future Husband and George Ezra's Budapest. 

Directed by Elizabeth Slade, the Women's Chorus will perform from a different genre including folk tunes from the British Isles and Latin America, along with a piece by French composer Maurice Duruflé. 

A Cappella Group, Surround Sound, Presents Showcase

The student-led contemporary a cappella group Surround Sound housed through the Ashland University Department of Music presents its annual concert on Sunday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The performances is free and open to the public.

This year's showcase concert will feature many contemporary pop hits including Bastille's Pompeii, Meghan Trainor's Dear Future Husband, Adele's Someone Like You, George Ezra's Budapest along with arrangements made popular by Billy Joel and Pentatonix. A couple of the pieces are arrangements written by one of the group's founding members and AU alumna Brandy Kay Riha.

Surround Sound is currently comprised of thirteen vocalists including Madeleine Beck (Brunswick), Drew Berlin (Barberton), Hayden Coey (Greenwich), Ruth Chilcote (Ashland), Deric Dove (Newark), Karissa Magnacca (Wadsworth), Kayla Phares (North Kingsville), Jacob Poiner (Wellington), Emily Sparks (Greenwich), Emily Sycks (Bluffton), Eryn Tramel (Medina), Alexander Trotter (Vineyard Haven, Massachusettes) and Hannah Wise (Hartville).

Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus & Surround Sound Perform Combined Concert

The Ashland University Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus and a cappella ensemble Surround Sound present their final spring concert on Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.  The performance is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, will conduct the Chamber Singers as they perform The Seasonings by fictitious composer P.D.Q. Bach. This famous oratorio is a musical satire of Joseph Haydn's The Seasons. The piece will feature soloists as well as common and uncommon instruments.

Dr. Marla Butke, Associate Professor of Music, will direct the Women's Chorus with accompaniment by pianists Rachel Crow and Eddie Carney; DR Haught on flute; Jane Reed, violin; and Tyler Watson, percussion. The program for the Women's Chorus will include Mozart's Dona Nobis Pacem, the art songs Will There Really Be a Morning and Untraveled Worlds, and John Rutter's The Lord Bless You and Keep You which will feature the senior women.

The student-led a cappella ensemble Surround Sound will perform three tunes including Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers' Why Do Fools Fall In Love?, the jazz standard Solitude, and Katy Perry's E.T.

Surround Sound Performs Annual Concert on Sunday

The student-led a cappella ensemble Surround Sound presents their annual concert on Sunday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. The program will feature a variety of popular tunes including When I'm Gone, The Cup Song from Pitch Perfect, selections from Katy Perry, Boys II Men, Cold Play along with several arrangements by Pentatonix and more. The concert is free and open to the public.

Ensemble members include Ashland residents Cory Turpin, Ruth Chilcote and Danny Lawson along with Emily Sparks (Plymouth), Hayden Coey (Greenwich), DR Haught (Wooster), Seth Morrison (Millersburg), Julie Bontempo (North Olmsted), Karissa Magnacca (Wadsworth), Eryn Tramel (Medina) and Deric Dove (Newark).

SPRING CHORAL CONCERT FEATURES FOUR VOCAL ENSEMBLES

Ashland University’s Spring Choral Concert features four University vocal ensembles including the Ashland University Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorus, and the student a cappella group Surround Sound on Sunday, March 16, 4:00 p.m. at the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.  The performance is free and open to the public.

Dr. Rowland Blackley, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities, will conduct the Ashland University Chamber Singers performing J.S. Bach's Organ Fugue along with Daniel Gawthrop's "Sing Me to Heaven," and John David's "You Are the New Day." Dr. Blackley will also direct the University Choir which will be accompanied by University Organist Dr. Timothy Guenther.  The Choir will perform three pieces which were written by recent visiting artist Anthony Iannaccone along with Morten Lauridsen's "Sure on This Shining Night" and René Clausen's "All That Hath Life and Breath.

The Women's Chorus, directed by Dr. Marla Butke with pianists Holly Allen and Eddie Carney accompanying, will present Hans Leo Hassler's Cantate Domino, Alice Parker's arrangement of "'Tis the Gift to be Simple" and Pablo Casals' "Nigra Sun."

With DR Haught as music director, the student-run Surround Sound will perform popular tunes including Pentatonix's arrangement of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry's "As Long as You Love Me/Wide Awake," Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" and Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."

VOCAL GROUPS PRESENT SPRING CONCERTS FROM GERSHWIN TO MAROON 5

The Ashland University Department of Music presents its final choral concert of the year featuring three vocal groups performing popular favorites from Gershwin to James Taylor and Stevie Wonder on Sunday, April 29, 4:00 p.m. at the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.  The concert features the Ashland University Chamber Singers, Women's Chorus and is free and open to the public.

Under the direction of Stephanie Sikora with assistance by pianist Holly Allan and a jazz combo with D R Haught, Ben Schnell and Aaron Hill, the Women's Chorus will perform Pat Ballard's 1954 Billboard chart hit Mister Sandman, Bobby Darin's classic hit Beyond the Sea as arranged by Holly Allan, Rsephanye Powell's spiritual Still I Rise, and Ron Jeffers I Have Had Singing. The Women's Chorus also will feature senior members Alaina Bosak, Helena Marshall, Laura Huntington, and Lindsay Hartke on the Gershwin for Girls Medley.

The Chamber Singers, directed by Rowland Blackley, will present Gene Puerling's arrangement of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square which was made famous by the Manhattan Transfer, James Taylor's Lonesome Road, Icarus by Ralph Tower, and Ysaye Barnwell's Wanting Memories.

The concert will also introduce the student-led a capella ensemble Surround Sound as they perform three popular songs including Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer, Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours, and This Love as performed by Maroon 5.  

Surround Sound also will present a late evening concert with an extended program on Sunday, April 29, 8:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

The 10-member ensemble will present a program of Billboard chart hits and an original composition which have been arranged for a capella by Deke Sharon or Surround Sounds' Brandy Riha. Songs to be performed include Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours, Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten, Neil Diamond's I'm a Believer as performed by The Monkeys, I'm Yours/You Belong with Me as performed by Jason Mraz and Taylor Swift, This Love as performed by Maroon 5, I Want You Back as performed by The Jackson 5, and Precipitation, an original song by Brandy Kay Riha and Kirstan Orgel. 

Performers in Surround Sound are Adam Stuart Beckwith (Vermilion High School, Vermilion, Ohio); Julie Bontempo (North Olmsted High School, North Olmstead, Ohio); Michael Kahle (Pandora-Gilboa High School, Pandora, Ohio); Brandy Riha (Geneva High School, Geneva, Ohio); Emily Springer (River Valley High School, Marion, Ohio); Caleb Stout (North Adams High School, Winchester, Ohio); John Fielding (Glen Oak High School, Canton, Ohio); Marisa Carafelli, Don Haught and Andrew Shaffer (Wooster High School, Wooster, Ohio).