Bluefield College is taking its select student voice ensemble, Variations, on the road for a spring choir tour with the next concert set for Bonsack Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia, Sunday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Under the direction of Dr. John-Scott Moir, Variations is a select, auditioned chorus of BC students that performs a wide variety of challenging choral literature. In addition to performing on-campus concerts, Variations tours annually throughout the region, singing at churches, conferences, and public and private schools. The group has also performed in New York City at Carnegie Hall and at the Lincoln Center, and has toured internationally in Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
Members of the select chamber ensemble include Nicole Benedito of Brazil; Beri Bishop of Fairfax, Virginia; Jeffrey Brannon of Bluefield, West Virginia; Emily Butcher of Tazewell, Virginia; Emily Fleig of Abingdon, Virginia; Lillian Gray of Roanoke, Virginia; Aaron Ingram of North Tazewell, Virginia; Sam Kimzey of Blacksburg, Virginia; Mary Beth Miller of Princeton, West Virginia; Matthew Mullins of Tazewell, Virginia; Hannah Mills of Speedwell, Virginia; Anna Nicole Oliver of Ashland, Virginia; and Chas Stonestreet of Bluefield, West Virginia.
Variations is directed by Dr. Moir, an assistant professor of music and director of choirs and voice for the BC Department of Music. A teacher, performer, singer and conductor with more than 25 years of experience in music, Dr. Moir joined the Bluefield College faculty in 2016. Before BC, he taught at Crown College, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Barron County, Syracuse University, State University of New York, Northwestern College, and Kent State University. He has also served as an opera singer, conductor and dancer.
Alandra Blume will accompany Variations on piano. A 2014 Bluefield College graduate and former member of several BC music ensembles, Hinkle serves as a collaborative accompanist for various BC music groups and programs.
Titled “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing,” the Variations concert program will include Victor C. Johnson’s “I Will Lift My Voice and Sing,” Ernani Aguiar’s “Salmo 150,” Dennis Allen’s “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” Craig Courtney’s “One Faith, One Hope, One Lord,” Dan Forrest’s “How Great Thou Art,” Keith Hampton’s “Praise His Holy Name,” William L. Dawson’s “Ain’a that Good News,” and James E. Moore, Jr.’s “An Irish Blessing.”
The program will also feature solo selections from Stonestreet and Brannon, an arrangement of “And Can It Be?” by Donna Voce, BC’s select women’s voice ensemble, and other special music.
The Variations concert is open and free to all. Bonsack Baptist Church is located at 4845 Cloverdale Road in Roanoke. For more information, contact Dr. Moir by email at [email protected] or by phone at 276-326-4258, or visit the Bonsack Baptist Church web site.