Ohio U, UK Male Vocalists Team Up in Concert
UK Men's Chorus performing R. Vaughan Williams' "Epitaph on John Jayberd of Diss" at the 2015 ACDA National Convention in Salt Lake City.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 3, 2016) — The University of Kentucky Men’s Chorus will join voices with its Ohio University counterparts, the Singing Men of Ohio, for a combined concert that is sure to transcend borders. The event, which will also feature both school's male a cappella groups, the acoUstiKats and Section Eight, will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Lexington. The concert is free and open to the public.
The UK Men's Chorus is an 80-voice ensemble composed of students who range from freshmen to graduate students. These young men represent a variety of musical backgrounds and academic disciplines. Founded in the fall of 2002, the Men’s Chorus has grown in size and popularity each semester. The choir’s challenging and diverse repertoire includes literature that spans from Gregorian chant to music of the 21st century. Rehearsing only twice weekly, UK Men’s Chorus maintains an active performing schedule throughout the state of Kentucky, touring each semester. The choir takes every opportunity to collaborate with other collegiate men's choruses, continuing the choral tradition of male singing.
The Singing Men of Ohio is an ensemble of 80 undergraduate and graduate students drawn from all majors of Ohio University. Established as both a performing ensemble within the university's School of Music, as well as a student organization that sponsors service projects, social activities and makes numerous community appearances at university and alumni functions, the Singing Men of Ohio enjoy a blend of professional training in music with opportunities for creative expression in the spirit of fraternity.
The acoUstiKats was founded in 1993 by Jefferson Johnson, director of UK Choral Activities, as a subsection of the UK Men’s Chorus. Through the years, the group has become the premier all-male a cappella ensemble in the state of Kentucky. The acoUstiKats have been featured on national television as a part of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” season four and have performed in countless venues across the United States from the shores of Hawaii to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
Founded in 1991, the eight member male a cappella group dubbed Section Eight named themselves after a reference to the military term for discharge due to mental incompetence. Over the years the group has grown to approximately 15 members and has continued the tradition of being entirely student directed and run. Section Eight has performed at the International Collegiate Choral A Cappella Competition at Penn State and participated in the first annual MACappella hosted by Ohio University.
For more information on this concert or the UK Men's Chorus and the acoUstiKats, contact Joseph Wrightson, administrative assistant for UK Choirs, at joseph.wrightson@g.uky.edu.
UK's Men's Chorus and acoUstiKats are part of the UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. The school has garnered a national reputation for high-caliber education in opera, choral and instrumental music performance, as well as music education, composition, and theory and music history.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu