Fall Concert Scheduled for October

            The Panola College Choirs will have their Fall Concert on Thursday, October the 11^th at 7:00 pm.  The event, held in Q. M. Martin Auditorium, will feature both the Panola College Chorale and the Panola Pipers. 

            The Panola College Chorale has 45 members this fall, with 33 new members from around the state of Texas.  “We have a great new bunch of freshmen and wonderful returning students,” said Sarin Peck, Panola College’s Director of Vocal Music.  “They are showing great potential, and we promise a great show this fall.”  The first half of the concert will feature a collection of pieces reminiscent of nature entitled Due North by Stephen Chatman.  The five movements give a musical image to mountains, trees, varied thrushes, mosquitoes, and woodpeckers. 

            This will be the début concert for the Chorale’s new accompanist, Ginger Cook.  Mrs. Cook graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree cum laude from TCU in Fort Worth, TX.  Before transferring to TCU she studied piano and organ at Baylor University.  She has taught private piano lessons for 23 years, as well as accompanying local band and choral students for UIL contests.  Currently she is the pianist for Southside Baptist Church and a member of the Carthage Music Club.  Ginger has been a Panola County resident for 9 years and is married to Kevin, minister of music at Southside Baptist.  They have two children, Katy, 17, and Paul, 9.  Panola College feels privileged to have Mrs. Cook as a part of the faculty.

            The Panola Pipers will be featured in the second half of the choirs fall concert with Opening Night!:  A New Generation of Broadway!  Included are a variety of newer Broadway show tunes with pieces from Beauty and the Beast, Hairspray, and Wicked.  The 2007-2008 Pipers will present familiar faces, as 6 out of 8 full members return for another semester.  Returning members include Tyler Burkhalter, Jamie Johnson, Afton McCollum, Jarron Simmons, Valerie Smith, and Lauren Watson.  The new bass group member is Cameron McBride from Harmony, TX and the new tenor member is Kenneth Harris from Marshall.  The two new alternates are Chelsey McNaughton from Carthage and Justin Sutphen, Gladewater.

            The Pipers also début a new faculty member for the Fall Concert:  Juliet Townzen, the new Piper Choreographer for the 2007-2008 season.  Mrs. Townzen is from Carthage, where she is co-owner/co-director of Rowe Performing Arts & Gym.  She has trained in voice and dance since age 3 and has won numerous stage and national championships in dancing, vocal performance, and modeling.  At the age of 18 she began a 4-year career singing and dancing professionally on stages in Dallas, Branson, MO, and South Florida.  She then decided to return home and pursue a career teaching performing arts to young people.  In the past several years she has choreographed and directed many solo and group numbers which have won top honors in Performing arts competitions.  Juliet loves to help students become all they were meant to be and share her passion for dancing and singing.

            We hope you will come out to see and hear all of the exciting things happening in the Panola College Vocal Music Program.  The Fall Concert is Thursday, October 11^th at 7:00 pm in Q. M. Martin Auditorium.  Admission is $2.00 for students, $5.00 for adults, and free with a current Panola College ID.  See you there!