Missie Mills
Print Managing Editor
October 26, 2004
This past weekend I experienced something amazing. Despite being involved in Concert Choir for the past two years and performing in numerous plays and musicals, this experience was something completely new for me. On Saturday night I sat on the stage of Seeger Chapel with my peers in the Milligan College Concert Choir, the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, guest tenor Frank Little and the 40 choir alumni.
Mr. Wakefield, the director, informed Concert Choir at the beginning of the year that we would be singing with an Alumni Reunion Choir—the first of its kind. Since then, we have been practicing the songs and preparing for an event that has no previous precedence of at Milligan.
Because we had been practicing for so long, I thought we would have to teach the alumni the music. In actuality, these graduates were amazing musicians. They first saw the music, including numbers by Brahms and Handel, at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Within two hours, they were ready for the stage.
The classes represented ranged from recent graduates from the class of 2003 to people who refused to disclose their graduation year. The group had a positive attitude and welcoming spirit. It was humbling to sit next to such talent. The sound we produced was magnificent.
I had a blast. The orchestra did a beautiful job of making the music come alive. I was temped to stop singing and simply look around at the 70 voices that surrounded me. The volume we produced was matched only by talent. I am proud to say that I was a part of the first Alumni Reunion Choir for Milligan Homecoming, and I look forward to singing in it again next year, as a graduate.