Lee University will host approximately 175 high school students to participate in the annual Honor Choir Concert on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. in Lee’s Conn Center.
The concert, titled “Come Away to the Skies,” will feature music that celebrates the tradition and culture of the Appalachian Region. The piece was originally arranged by Alice Parker and written by Charles Wesley. First published in 1767 to the tune name “Exultation” in “The Southern Harmony,” the composition surfaced in collections of hymns and shape note song books.

Schools participating in this year’s Honor Choir include Central High School in Chattanooga, directed by Katheron Latham; East Hamilton High School, Morgan Ferrel; Elizabethton High School, Deborah Gouge; Grace Baptist Academy, Melissa Ferrel; Heritage High School, Jennifer Hamilton; Hilger Higher Learning, Tina Holcombe; McMinn County High School, Sarah Dalbey; McMinn Central High School, Tristen Rowland; Mortimer Jordan High School, Margaret Heron; Ooltewah High School, Jon Miller; and Red Bank High School, Kaylee Stower.

Lee University’s Choral Union and Chorale will also perform at the Saturday concert, showcasing the school’s accomplishments in choral music. Chorale will be directed by Dr. William Green, and Choral Union will be directed by Dr. Joshua Cheney.

Cheney and Kennesaw State University’s Dr. Alison Mann will serve as clinicians for the event.

In addition to directing Choral Union, Cheney directs the new Men’s Choir at Lee. He also serves as an assistant professor of choral music at Lee. He teaches conducting, choral rehearsal techniques, and choral literature and manages the graduate choral conducting program. Cheney is currently a member of the Atlanta-based professional choral ensemble, Coro Vocati.

Mann is an associate professor of choral music education and program coordinator for music education at Kennesaw State University, where she teaches coursework in choral methods, foundations of music education, and vocal pedagogy for ensemble singing. She also supervises student teachers; coordinates edTPA, a widely used assessment tool; and serves as conductor of the KSU Women’s Choir.

Saturday’s concert will be free, non-ticketed, and open to the public.

For more information, contact School of Music at (423) 614-8240.