Henderson State University Choirs

On Monday, April 22nd, the Henderson State University Choirs will present our last concert of the year titled "Hope Lingers On." Led by Dr. Jonathon Barranco, this performance will include works by Lodovico Viadana, Clara Schumann, Alice Parker, among others. We will also feature our student conductors as well as Dr. Bill Higgins as soloist. The performance will be held at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary of First United Methodist-Arkadelphia and there is no cost to attend.

We would love to see you there in person! For those unable to attend the performance will be streamed here on Facebook.

What a privilege and joy it was to host the recent Arkansas NATS auditions here on our beautiful Henderson campus! We in the voice area are deeply grateful to our Department of Music colleagues, as well as to all of the faculty and staff who supported us in this endeavor. Also, a special thanks to all of the students who volunteered their time to help make this a success.

And, of course, congratulations to our fantastic student performers: Wesley Lamendola, Taylor Vik, Tyrell Dennis, Christian Sweeney, and Kaitlyn Byrd. Your performances throughout the auditions and master class were inspiring!

In one week, our choirs will present our first concert of the spring titled, Love Me. With works by Schubert, Britten, Lauridsen, Hagenberg and others, this performance is certain to speak to the romantic in us all.

We would love for you to join us for this event on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia. For those unable to attend in person, we plan to stream live here on Facebook.

Another All-State is in the books and what a great event! We enjoyed meeting with students, directors, friends, and of course our fantastic Henderson Alumni. A big thank you to Dr. Berry for coming out to represent us and support our efforts. And a special thanks to our amazing choral students who represented us brilliantly as part of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Choir. Our choir motto is Heart-Song-Unity and it was on full display.

What a wonderful evening of music last night! Congratulations and thanks to each of our Honors Recital performers. The Henderson Choirs are especially proud of choir members Tyrell Dennis, Christian Sweeney, Kaden Manley, and Lexi Barnhart! You all, along with Will Cole and the inimitable Dr. Heather Thayer put on a fantastic performance!

At the start of this new semester, we are excited to share three audition dates coming up in the months ahead: February 10th, March 2nd, and April 13th. Scholarships are available for potential music majors and non-music majors, singers and instrumentalists. And, if you happen to be both a singer and an instrumentalist, you can audition to receive scholarships for each.

We invite you to learn more about our generous scholarships at hsu.edu/musicauditions. And, if you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to our Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Jonathon Barranco, (email: [email protected], phone:870-230-5053).

Henderson named ‘Most Affordable College’ in Arkansas | News Henderson State University has been named the “Most Affordable College” in Arkansas. The ranking was determined by GOBankingRates, which analyzed “colleges across a variety of factors, including in-state tuition and fees, as well as room and board.” Approximately 95 percent of Henderson stud...

We would love for you to join us on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 5th at 7:30 pm for a performance of traditional carols alongside works by Mendelssohn, Forrest, Quartel, and others. Come in from the cold to the warm sanctuary of FUMC and let us sing you into the season.

There is no cost to attend and all are welcome. For those unable to be there in person, we will stream live here on Facebook.

I am excited to introduce you to the Henderson State University Chorale. This auditioned ensemble is made up primarily of Music Majors, but also includes students from other areas of study at Henderson.

University Chorale will perform tomorrow evening along with our Concert Choir and Opera Workshop as part of the Henderson State Choirs' first performance of the year titled "Sure on This Shining Night." We would love for you to join us at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary of FUMC-Arkadelphia for the performance!

University Chorale:

Soprano: Kaitlyn Byrd, Abby McIntyre, Hallie Todd

Alto: Alexis Barnhart, Janae Hartman, Emily Ward, Karriel Williams

Tenor: Tyrell Dennis, Taylor Vik, Jayson Watts

Bass: Wesley Lamendola, Christian Sweeney

Dr. Barranco and the members the Henderson State University Choirs invite you to join us on the evening of Tuesday, October 17th at 7:30 pm for our first performance of the 2023/2024 year. Titled "Sure on This Shining Night", this concert will feature works by Lauridsen, Elgar, Kodaly, Ramsey, and many others. Along with our choirs, we will also feature ensemble performances by members of our Opera Workshop, under the direction of Dr. Bill Higgins.

We hope to see you live on the evening of Tuesday, October 17th at 7:30 pm in the beautiful Sanctuary of First United Methodist in Arkadelphia! For those unable to attend in person, the performance will be streamed here on Facebook.

The Henderson State University Choirs will present our final performance of the semester tomorrow evening, May 2nd, at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary of FUMC-Arkadelphia. With works by Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Sondheim, and others, this performance will include psalm settings alongside sacred and secular anthems in praise of life, community, and art.

For those unable to travel, the performance will be streamed here on Facebook. We hope to see you there!

On Friday, May 5th, the HSU Department of Music will host our second annual Solo and Ensemble Festival. We have divisions for Jr./Sr. High Instrumentalists and Vocalists. For more info see the attached flier. We hope to see you there!

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc90C9BSZicLrvd3MCtXe5nMpcktHqzkRJKqRQnNO3hcChqQg/viewform

We are excited to announce our first performance of the semester titled, "From This Fair Isle." This concert, featuring music from England, Scotland, and Wales, will include works by Byrd, Handel, Holst, Macmillan and others.

We would would love for you to join us on Tuesday, March 14th at 7:30 pm in the beautiful Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia. For those unable to attend in person, we plan to stream the performance here on Facebook .

Congratulations to Dr. Bill Higgins, Mrs. KyoungHwa Molinari, and these incredible young artists! It is a privilege to be able to create music with you and so many others like you at Henderson each day.

Happy New Year!!!

2022 ended on a high note with outstanding performances, student-led community carols, and a successful food drive to help with hunger needs in our area. The Reddie Spirit is alive and well in the efforts of our incredible students. It is a privilege to be able work with them daily to create music and community at Henderson.

Looking forward to an exciting 2023!

Graduation day is here, and as always it is a mixture of excitement and a few joyful tears as we see off another group of amazing students. We are incredibly proud of Orelando Carodine, Rebecca Glaser, Sabrina Moses, Matthew Glover, and all of our Fall 2022 music graduates. You have enlivened the halls of Henderson with your voices and your spirits. Best wishes to each of you in all of your future endeavors!

We are excited to announce our audition dates for the year!!!

Multiple opportunities are available for singers and instrumentalists, and scholarships are available for students in any major. Come be a part of the deep traditions and exciting future of music at Henderson State University.

For more information about our audition, including details about our virtual options, visit our music page at: https://www.hsu.edu/pages/academics/ellis-college-of-arts-and-sciences/music/

If you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Jonathon Barranco via email at [email protected].

The Henderson State University Choirs are excitedly preparing this years carol concert, titled "Ring Out Ye Bells." Join us November 28th at 7:30 pm in the beautiful sanctuary of FUMC-Arkadelphia for a program of beloved carols along with works by Britten, Trumbore, and others. For those unable to travel, the performance will be live streamed here.

We hope to see you there or on the stream!

We are excited to present our first performance of the semester this evening, titled "Out From the Deep." We hope to see you in the beautiful sanctuary of First United Methodist! For those that need to join by livestream, a link to the program notes is listed below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mOiLsjE3WNM6KkPheE-Wc6_uufSjFbXJ6n1hBu6gLZA/edit?usp=sharing

The Henderson Choirs will present our first performance of the year titled "Out From the Deep" on Tuesday, October 11th, at 7pm in the beautiful Sanctuary of FUMC-Arkadelphia. Through hymns, spirituals, and other works, this performance will examine a journey from grief to hope that is often taken in the wake of loss and life's difficulties. And from the opening Dies Irae through the final hope-filled strains of This Little Light of Mine, a path out of the deep will be illuminated in song.

We would love for you to join us and there is no cost of admission! The performance will be streamed for those unable to attend in person.

Please join us this evening as the Henderson Choirs present our final concert of the semester titled "Why We Sing". Live in the Sanctuary of FUMC-Arkadelphia and streaming here on Facebook.
Come and be moved, encouraged, entertained, and hopefully inspired as we celebrate the joy of singing together!

On Monday, March 7th the Henderson Choirs will present our first concert of the season titled "Divine Love|Love Divine". Through works by Schumann, Whitacre, Sondheim, and others, we will explore both the humanity and divinity expressed by the four classical loves (Agape, Philia, Storge, and Eros).

The concert will be held in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist-Arkadelphia starting at 7pm. We will also stream via Facebook for those unable to attend. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to these Henderson music majors who brought home top honors in their classifications at the National Association of Teachers of Singing state conference this weekend! Cole Moix-Second place Fourth and Fifth year TBB; Christian Sweeney-Second place Second year TBB; and Tyrell Denis-Third place First year TBB!! 🎶🎉🎶🥳

The All-State Conference is Back!!!

After a year away due to COVID, we are so excited to again be able to meet with friends and colleagues from across the state. We are also excited by the strong Henderson representation at the clinic. From AIC and AIB to interest sessions led by alumni, the Reddie Spirit will be on full display.!

And the concert sessions featuring groups from Fouke, Hot Springs Lakeside, Texarkana, and others show that music in this part of the state is thriving!

If you will be at the convention please stop by the Henderson booth and chat for a while. We would love to hear from you.

On Friday, April 15th, our Department of Music will host a Solo and Ensemble Festival for Junior High and High School instrumentalists and vocalists. Students may perform for ratings, medals, and even special prizes. This event will be capped off that evening with a performance by our Jazz ensemble, NuFusion, on the Quad.

We are excited to offer this opportunity free of charge! If you are an area director or student musician, see the attached flier for more details and a QR code to register.

We hope to see you there!

Henderson Choir alumni are doing great things! Tanner Oglesby is serving as Choral Chair for ArkMEA. He and fellow alum CamRyn Stillman will be presenting at the ArkMEA All-State conference in February!

Congratulations to Cassie Lea Ford and to all of today’s graduates! Cassie has already started her new job at Lake Hamilton Intermediate School where she’ll be teaching 4th and 5th grade music!

While seating has once again been limited to invited guests, all can join our livestream at 7pm this Tuesday, Nov. 30th as we present our winter concert "Red & Green". This collection of new works and traditional carols is sure to add a little joy at the start of this festive season.