Our Music: The Choir

Our Music

1049 days until
Our 45^th

Class of 1966
Ottawa University
Ottawa, Kansas

Classmember Merle (Dauphin) Ashley was one of the members of the Ottawa Choir. She has treasured her LP of the Centennial Choir (1965 was Ottawa's Centennial). Her husband, Norm, was kind enough to transfer the LP to a CD, cleaning up some of the LP sounds on the way. Merle and Norm were kind enough to send a copy of this CD to your webmaster. I thought it best to share it with all of you in MP3 format:

Ottawa University Choir Centennial Music

For a third of a century the Ottawa University Concert Choir with Edgar D. Kerr as director and Ruth Kerr as organist has thrilled audiences across the country in large and small cities. So it is appropriate as the University observes its centennial, glancing fondly at the past and peering eagerly into the future, that the Choir, steeped in the Ottawa tradition, should make this recording of anthems, hymns, spirituals and University songs.

The first side of the record presents six anthems selected from the tour program. The second side has hymns, spirituals and Ottawa songs. At the end of the recording Prof. Kerr gives a meditation and leads the Choir in Lutkin's choral benediction.

All of the singers are students selected from the 125-voice oratorio chorus and the 75-member vesper choir. The 36 people thus picked spend many weeks In preparing the spring tour program.

Members are good musicians. Most of them are students in the excellent department of music headed by Prof. Kerr. But there Is more to their music than musicianship. The students bring to every concert fresh enthusiasm, deep feeling and inspiring interpretation. Audiences sense the sincerity and brilliance as characteristics of the choral presentations.

SIDE I

1. Praise Ye the Name of the Lord	Nikolsky
2. Psalm 47 Duet: Ann English and Sharon Blair	Bourgeois
3. Sing Unto God	Gordon Young
4. The Beatitudes Soloist: Roy Marks, Baritone	Glarum
5. Let All Ye Sons and Daughters Sing Trio: Sharon Bond, Sharon Blair, Mary Kirkpatrick	Leisring-Greyson
6. Benedictus Soloists: Ann English, Mezzo-Soprano Otoniel Gonzaga, Tenor	Paladilhe

SIDE II

1. Hymn: How Firm a Foundation	Early American Tune
2. Hymn: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing	Nettleton Tune
3. Ain't Got Time to Die Soloist: Sharon Blair, Mezzo-Soprano	Spiritual
4. Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel	Spiritual
Men's Voices
O'er the Strands of Shining Yellow
Ottawa, Ottawa, We Will Fight for Ottawa
Remember	Words by B. Smith Haworth
My Ottawa
The Lord Bless You and Keep You (Choral Benediction)	Lutkin

Class of 1966, Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas 66067
Alumni Office: 866 324-8788 alumni@ottawa.edu

Class President: Bob Wallace

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