Ouachita Singers, a 47- voice choral ensemble including some of Ouachita’s greatest voices, is currently in Dallas on tour and will soon be touring Italy. While they tour regionally every fall and spring, the international tour only occurs every four to five years.
The Ouachita Singers’ tour in Dallas is a recruitment tour. The tour began yesterday and will end tomorrow. They are visiting schools and churches around the Dallas area to perform and give information about Ouachita. They also will host a Ouachita reception and present a concert for prospective students and alumni tonight at Prestonwood Christian Academy. The singers will visit a total of seven high schools, where they will sing for the schools’ choirs and interact with the students.
It is a great opportunity for the students in Ouachita Singers to share why they love Ouachita while giving out essential information about the opportunities they will have and the benefits of attending, especially for music majors.
While the recruitment tours offer great experiences for the singers, the international tour is a rare opportunity to embrace the educational and musical aspects of their learning while at Ouachita. This year, a select group of members of Ouachita Singers, parents and Ouachita Singers alumni will travel to Italy. They will depart on March 18 and return March 26.
When touring Italy and visiting the various historical sights, they will perform impromptu at the Orvieto Cathedral, Lucca Duomo, St. Chiara Church and the Pantheon. Along with the impromptu concerts, they will participate and sing in Mass at St. Francis Basilica and St. Peter’s Basilica as well as perform evening concerts in two famous churches, Santa Felicita and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Also, after sending in an audition tape, the Ouachita Singers were chosen to sing a private performance in the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public. This will prove to be a unique experience, because the Sistine Chapel is usually crowded with tourists, but they will be viewing it exclusively. The evening concerts at Santa Felicita and Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the Mass at St. Francis Basilica and St. Peter’s Basilica and the performance at the Sistine Chapel are all a part of the American Celebration of Music in Italy.
“I am thrilled to get the opportunity to sing in these historical places and do fun things with the people I sing with,” said Emily Weeden, a senior worship arts major who is also a member of Ouachita Singers. “Ouachita Singers and the experience in general has been such a blessing.”
By Ashlynn Morton, Staff writer
