Choir, ensemble to perform Dec. 10

By Steve Koehler

Ozarks Technical Community College’s choir and instrumental ensemble will present an evening of music Dec. 10 at Stone Chapel on the Drury University campus.

Jennifer McAtee, instructor in the music department, said it will be the first time the college’s ensemble will perform in public. The choir performed last year in a concert.

 “The ensemble has been working toward the concert all semester. It’s what they prepare for in class,”  she said. “The Stone Chapel is a beautiful environment for this event.”

The ensemble will include guitar, clarinet, violin, viola and drums.

The concert, which begins at 7 p.m., is free and will include some holiday-themed selections along with some classical pieces, including one by Mozart. The choir and ensemble will each do five selections, McAtee said.

The students are members of the college’s music department, Many of the students who are enrolled in the program either perform in local bands or are beginning their music studies at OTC before transferring to a four-year institution.

“It’s a nice niche here that caters to both types of musical students,” McAtee said. “The concert serves, in part, to let everyone know we have a music department here.”

For those who want a sneak preview of the upcoming performance or who can’t make the concert, the ensemble will be performing tonight during the First Friday Art Walk.

Visitors can come to the third floor of the Gillioz Theater, where the Fine Arts Department is located, and hear some selections by the group. There is no charge for the student showcase.

“The showcase and concert are ways to expose the department to the public. The concert is also our way of giving something back to the community through music,” McAtee said.

Steve Koehler is coordinator of publications at Ozarks Technical Community College. Contact him at koehlers@otc.edu.