October 15, 2007
Lyon College News Bureau
Community Chorus, Lyon College Choir, First Presbyterian Church Choir prepare for Kirkin' service
Batesville Choral Society members, the Lyon College Concert Chorale, the Arkansas/Lyon College Alumni Choir, and the Chancel Choir of First Presbyterian Church of Batesville have been preparing for their inaugural performance.
Under the direction of Dr. Joel Plaag, Lyon’s assistant professor of music, the groups will present two anthems during next weekend’s Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans service in Brown Chapel on the Lyon College campus.
Dr. Dorothy Landis Gray, former Jean Brown Professor of Music and choir director at Lyon College, will return to campus to conduct Sunday, Oct. 21.
Gray, a graduate of Lebanon Valley College in Anvil, Pa., Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. and a Ph.D. from Catholic University of American Washington, D.C., taught at Arkansas College from 1946 to1986. During her tenure, she accompanied the choir on many tours both around the United States and abroad, including a USO tour. She also directed the Arkansas College Lassies and a community chorus. She was also married to the late Dr. Paul Gray of Batesville.
The Dorothy Landis Gray award, named after her, was established in 1998 to honor an outstanding, graduating choir member every year. Past recipients include Denise Williams, Amy Huffman, Julia Barnes, Leticia Jones, Teryn McDuff, Stephen Briner, Heather Grantham, Michael Horan, Skye Hart and Holly Jones.
The combined rehearsal for the Alumni Choir, Lyon Choir, Presbyterian Church Choir, and community choir will be from 2 – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, on the stage of Brown Chapel.
Any choir alumni, community chorus alum or friends wishing to participate in this special event who sang under Dr. Gray or any other Arkansas/Lyon College choir
directors, are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact Plaag at (870) 698-4259.
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Members of the Batesville Choral Society (back row, from left): Ed Schoeniki, George Lankford, Sean Garver, Alan McNamee, Chris Sanders, Dustin Ramsey and Han Chuan Ong; (front row, from left): Tommie McDonald, Rita Phillips, Sylvia Crosby, Julinda Dixon, Diane Tebbetts and Ceil Smith. Not pictured: Camille Beary, Kathy Whittenton and Joel Plaag