The Mississippi Boychoir 15th Anniversary Concert, Margaret Ewing Thomas, Director, with the Tommy Sciple Jazz Trio, at Galloway U Methodist Church, June 5, 2010
There were actually three choirs: the Concert Choir, The Training Choir
(an apprentice group), and the Alumni Chorus. The Concert and Training Choirs
sang a piece from the 16th century, Pierre Clereau's "Celebrate This Day
Together", with Caryn Womack, drum, an appropriate opening for this event,
with the audience seated around tables where they would later enjoy a
dinner and the Tommy Sciple Jazz Trio. Next was Handel's "Art Thou
Troubled?", with a string quartet (Erick Pajares, Molly Thomas (violins),
Alex Encinas (viola) and Mariana Aldana, (cello). The choirs had a light and
clear tone, and sang from memory. Bach's "Bist du bei mir" (unison) and
Theron Kirk' s "The Year's at the Spring" (parts) followed, both accompanied
by Rosanne Smith at the piano, which was never intrusive (as it sometimes
can be in choral accompanying). This section closed with "Two Thoughts,
Two Things",
from Samuel Jones' setting of Eudora Welty's "The Shoebird", a work
commissioned several years ago by the Boy Choir. The Concert Choir then
sang Schumann's "Widmung" and Faure's "Ave Verum" flawlessly. The Training
Choir returned and the two groups sang Mary Lynn Lightfoot's "The Swing";
a Chinese folk song "Da Hai A Gu Xiang" ("The Sea Is My Home"), and
Jay Althouse's arrangement of
"When You're Smiling", with various percussion instruments dispersed among
the singers (a real crowd-pleaser), and then, with the Tommy Sciple Trio,
Carl Strommen's arrangement of "The Birth of the Blues". The balance
between singers and trio was excellent (the latter could easily have
overpowered the voices), and the audience response was enthusiastic.
The Alumni Chorus (by now mostly baritones) then sang Terry Barham's
arrangement of "Vive L'Amour", the popular folk melody, and finally
was joined by the Boychoir in Joshua Jacobson's setting of "Ale Brider"
(All Brothers) a Yiddish folksong, and Keith Hampton's "Praise His Holy Name",
again with
the Sciple Trio. The choral concert closed with K. Lee Scott's "Go Out
Into the World", with Caryn Womack, flautist. It was a poignant moment,
as it marked Margaret Thomas' retirement as Director. Lelon Thompson,
accompanist for the Training Choir, will assume the Directorship. The
community owes Margaret Thomas a debt of gratitude for founding and
nurturing the choir and its members. They have traveled widely and
established an enviable reputation for themselves and for Mississippi.
And it is safe to say that the boys themselves will never be the same
again - this has been a life-changing experience for them.
- Glenn A. Gentry