Premier Vocal Ensemble At University Of Arkansas To Tour In January

Fayetteville, AR. -- On January 21, members of the Schola Cantorum at the University of Arkansas will travel to Fort Smith and Little Rock to offer performances of choral music spanning several historical periods and a variety of musical genres.

The Schola Cantorum will visit Ft. Smith for morning performances at Westark Community College and South Side High School. The same evening, in Little Rock, the choir will offer a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1000 North Mississippi.

The program will feature works by Johann Hermann Schein, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Gabriel Fauré, Edward Elgar, Jan Bender, and Gordon Binkerd. The program will also entertain the audience with nursery odes, folk songs, spirituals, and blues selections. Other highlights include solo performances and an opera scene by choir members who sing in the UA Opera Theatre.

"This tour is part of a long tradition," said David Saladino, UA Director of Choral Activities. "Since its inception in 1957, the ensemble has traveled throughout the world, winning national and international competitions."

After the Schola became the first American choir to win the gold medal at the International Polyphonic Competition in Arezzo, Italy, in 1962, the ensemble appeared on the Today show and was invited to sing for President Kennedy in the Rose Garden.

"As the premier choral ensemble at the University of Arkansas, Schola Cantorum has a three-fold mission," said Saladino. "The main objective is to provide the highest level of ensemble training for vocal students. It is also the primary vehicle for recruiting top vocalists, not only music majors, but talented singers in a myriad of other academic fields. Finally, the Schola reaches out to communities across Arkansas by performing at schools and churches during the annual winter tour."

While most of the Schola’s 45 members are majoring in music, the group is eclectic. In addition to music, the current ensemble includes students from chemical engineering, human resource management, English, and political science. In its 43-year history, the ensemble has been led by only three directors: Richard Brothers, who directed the choir when it won the gold medal; Jack Groh, under whom the choir’s reputation grew as they sang for inaugurations of governors and other heads of state; and David Saladino, the current conductor, whose choirs have performed for state, regional, and national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choir Directors Association.

"This tour is one of the countless ways we try to serve the public throughout the year," said Saladino. "When we go to high schools or community colleges, we not only entertain, but also let prospective students see first-hand what wonderful opportunities we offer in music and performance at the University. And venues such as St. Marks in Little Rock offer us a chance to meet former Schola members as well as UA alumni and friends. This is truly one of the highlights of the performing season for the choir."