Enjoy Beautiful Music This Weekend

Under the direction of Gary Sturgis, the Sewanee Chorale will perform its annual Christmas concert at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13, in All Saints’ Chapel. Ruth Cobb will accompany the chorale.

Students from voice teacher  Susan Rupert’s studio will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12, in St. Luke’s Chapel for the traditional end-of-semester Big Band/Broadway-fest. Joining them will be the Jazz Trio, which features Noel Workman, Bob Burns and Garry Collins.  

A program of  favorites such as “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Fever,” “Lullaby of Broadway” and “The Lamp is Low” will lift your spirits and provide a much-needed break to relax and enjoy some of music’s most popular and enduring “oldies.”  

Morton Memorial United Methodist Church is hosting its fourth annual “Mountain Music Christmas” program at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13. The choir will sing beautiful Southern spirituals and Appalachian carols to celebrate the music of our mountain, including music of John Jacob Niles, Southern Harmony and Scottish carols. 

Special guests Amanda Combs and Ryan Combs are siblings from Hazard, Ky., who blend family musical tradition with their bluegrass and gospel roots to create heartfelt, down-to-earth music. 

Storyteller Susan Ramsay and Cricket and Snail will be back by popular demand, and will be joined by local traditional musicians. All are welcome to join in this celebration.

Festive Music on the Mountain

The Sewanee Symphony Orchestra  (SSO) will present its annual holiday concert at 7:30 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 4, in Guerry Auditorium. Under the leadership of César Leal, SSO will perform audience favorites including Rebecca Van de Ven performing Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, as well as the world premiere of “The Forest Through the Trees” by Jeremy Crosmer. Commissioned by SSO, this work was inspired by David Haskell’s book,“The Forest Unseen.”

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School will host the MTSU Guitar Quartet at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts on the SAS campus. The MTSU Guitar Quartet will perform music from Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary American and Latin Music, including the music of Praetorius, Telemann, and more. The quartet members—Brad Poe, Ryan Jerzak, Alex Saber and Jacob Miears—are four of the finest classical guitarists in the state. 

The Sewanee Praise Gospel Choir will have a Christmas concert at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6, in St. Luke’s Chapel on campus. Come hear this amazing group of talented college students and community members sing praise and gospel music. A reception will follow in the Bishop’s Common.

At 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8, John Bordley will perform a carillon concert in Shapard Tower.

The Sewanee Folk Music Collective will have its winter concert at 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8, in St. Luke’s Chapel.

The St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Winter Concert will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 9, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts on the school’s campus. Join the middle and upper school choruses and the upper school chamber ensemble for an evening of music, including tunes from Lennon and McCartney, Tchaikovsky and more. The choirs and ensemble are under the direction of Katherine Anderson.

The eighth annual Jazz on the Mountain concert, featuring the Little Big Band and Friends will be at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Ayres Multicultural Center at the corner of Alabama Avenue and Willie Six Road in Sewanee. 

Under the direction of Gary Sturgis, the Sewanee Chorale will perform its annual Christmas concert at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13, in All Saints’ Chapel. Ruth Cobb will accompany the Chorale.

All of these events are free and open to the public.

Majestic Fourth of July Plans Taking Shape

Sewanee’s Fourth of July celebration is approaching fast! The theme for this year’s celebration is Sewanee Purple Mountain Majesty.

T-shirts with this year’s logo and theme are available to pre-order ($15) by contacting Jade McBee by email, <jademcbee@gmail.com>.

Organizers hope to have as many parade entries as possible. Gather up your family, friends and coworkers and join in! All entries are welcome: musical, clowns, bicycles, horses, floats, baton twirlers, beauty pageant winners or cars. This year’s parade will travel downhill from Hall Street to the Sewanee Market; it will begin at 2 p.m. on July 4. Parade entries must be made by June 30.

There will be trophies awarded in the following categories: best float (an entry is considered a float if it consists of a flatbed trailer being pulled by a vehicle), best decorated vehicle and best horse-drawn entry. Ribbons will be given for best decorated bicycle. Judging for the entries will begin at 1 p.m. The lineup location is at the parking lot behind Benedict Hall. 

The Sewanee Chorale will sing wonderful patriotic music during the Sewanee “Purple Mountain Majesty” Fourth of July celebration and is looking for more singers to participate. Their goal is to have 100 voices from our community be part of the event.

Musical director Gary Sturgis said, “You do not have to read music—just come and sing the melody!”

They will rehearse at 7 p.m., on Monday, June 22, and Monday, June 29, in Hargrove Auditorium (also known as the Pit) in Hamilton Hall. For more information contact Sturgis at (931) 636-5294.

A few reminders about the parade. If you will be throwing candy, please be sure to throw it as close to the curb as you can. We want to keep our little ones as safe as possible by keeping them from running out into the road. Also, if you have a siren, horn or other type of loud noise, please do not turn it on until you reach the Kirby-Smith Monument. There are those who do not like to hear the sirens and they will be seated at or near the hospital. If you will be riding a motorcycle or four-wheeler, please wear a helmet. Due to insurance precautions, participants in the parade will need to sign a release form before the parade begins. 

To enter the parade email Heather Walsh at <sewanee4thofjulyparade@gmail.com> or call (678) 617-0505.

Happy Birthday, Messenger. A Word from the Editor.

Happy 30th Birthday, Sewanee Mountain Messenger

by Laura L. Willis, Editor

Is the printed newspaper on its death bed? Will we read all our news online in the future? I’m no prognosticator, but I know one thing: I believe in community newspapers. And I believe in the Sewanee Mountain Messenger.

Thirty years ago this week, the Messenger published its first issue. Geraldine Hewitt Piccard had great writing and editing skills, plus a typewriter, so she could begin a community paper. She’d planned on it beginning in early February, but the catastrophic ice storm of 1985 slowed her plans. With the help of Mary Smalley as business manager, Geraldine sold the ads, wrote the copy, and produced that eight-page issue on 9x12 white paper. The University press did the actual printing and she distributed it to post offices and businesses in the area. 

On page 1 under the headline, “Community Spirit,” she described the many people who helped Sewanee and her residents survive that historic storm: Carl Reid, Doug Seiters, Dwight Sholey, Ernie Butner, Galon Sherrill, Jim Franklin, Dan Rather, Bob Ayres, John Kildoo, Tom Watson, Doug Cameron, John Greeter, Lisa and Tim Keith-Lucas, and the members of the Sewanee Fire Department. If you’re new to Sewanee, you might recognize only a few of these names; if you’ve been on this Mountain for awhile, reading this list of names may stir memories for you.

In that first issue there are advertisements, many of which remain the same today. For their continuing support, I want to thank the Lemon Fair, Rob Matlock Construction, Monteagle Florist, Sewanee Auto Repair, the Sewanee Inn, the Sewanee Market, Shenanigans and Taylor’s Mercantile. 

Also in Vol. 1, No. 1, were many of the very same things that appear in our paper today: a notice of the Otey Parish Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, the obituaries of esteemed community members, birth announcements and wedding announcements, descriptions of meetings and gallery openings, a call for singers to join the Sewanee Chorale in its spring production of “H.M.S. Pinafore,” reviews of the SUT movies, the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School’s headmaster’s honors list, and a couple of letters to the editor (which are really letters to the community-at-large). The back page was, even then, devoted to the community calendar.

Looking back at its beginnings, the Messenger has always been dedicated to supporting the greater Sewanee area by providing news and information that affect residents’ lives and encourage meaningful community engagement. We are more explicit about this mission now, especially as we watch the number of newspapers decline and the news business change dramatically. Our mission hasn’t changed, but we are very clear about our role in this community. You won’t learn about the votes scheduled in the State Senate; you won’t read stories that “shout” at you or provoke you; and you won’t be embarrassed if your name appears on our pages. We are, with only the tiniest hint of irony, the Good News Newspaper.

Geraldine brought to life the Sewanee Mountain Messenger from the Sewanee Siren, the community newspaper from 1967 to 1984. We haven’t changed its name, but the paper continues to evolve. While we dabble in an online presence, we know that most of you still like to hold the Messenger in your hands and read it on paper, whether standing at the table in the post office or sitting with a cup of coffee at the Blue Chair or pushing a cart through the Piggly Wiggly. 

The printed newspaper is not dead, especially on this Mountain. I believe in our little free, weekly community newspaper. And I think you do too. May the Sewanee Mountain Messenger continue to be of service to the people of this Plateau for another 30 years. 

Holiday Music Offerings

Sewanee Chorale

The Sewanee Chorale will perform its Christmas concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14, in All Saints’ Chapel. The concert will feature the music of John Rutter, one of the most prolific 20th-century Christmas composers. The concert will be under the direction of Gary Sturgis, his fifth year as conductor for the Sewanee Chorale. Kathy Sturgis joins the chorale as piano accompanist. Also performing will be Jane Hawkins of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., on the bowed psaltery. 

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information contact Gary Sturgis at (931) 636-5294 or email <gksturgis@gmail.com>

Classical and Big Band,
Vocal Students

The voice students of Susan Rupert will perform on Saturday, Dec. 13, in St. Luke’s Chapel. Two group performances will feature a variety of musical styles. At 5:30 p.m., classical students will present a selection of art songs, old English songs, and an aria or two. At 7 p.m., the Big Band/Broadway section will join with the Sewanee Jazz Trio (Noel Workman, Bob Burns and Garry Collins) to offer golden oldies and popular Christmas melodies. The event is free and open to the public.

Holiday Concerts in Sewanee

The Sewanee Symphony Orchestra will present its second concert of the 2014–15 season at 7:30 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 5, in Guerry Auditorium. “Celebrate the Season” is the theme of the concert, an opportunity to hear favorite Christmas tunes. The program will include three dances from “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky; “Sinfonia Pastorale” by Tartini; “Christmas Around the World,” a medley of Christmas melodies; and “Christmas Festival,” a medley of Christmas music arranged specially for the Boston Pops. 

The Sewanee Praise Gospel Choir will have a Christmas concert at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, in St. Luke’s Chapel on campus. Come hear this amazing group of talented college students and community members sing praise and gospel music. 

The St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Winter Concert will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts on the school’s campus. Join the middle and upper school choruses and the upper school chamber ensemble for an evening of seasonal music, classical, jazz and rock performances. 

The Sewanee Chorale will perform its holiday concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14, in All Saints’ Chapel. For more details see page 14.

All of these events are free and open to the public.

Santa Claus and Tree Lighting

Join friends and family at 5:30 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 13, when Sewanee lights its Christmas Tree in the Sewanee Angel Park and ushers in the holidays on the Mountain with music and fun. Santa Claus will be available for photos with the kids under the music pavilion. There will be cocoa and cookies. University Avenue will be closed to traffic so that children of all ages can enjoy the event safely.

To help families in need in Sewanee, participants are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys for Operation Noel, which will be collected by members of the Sewanee Fire Department for distribution on Christmas Eve. 

The Community Action Committee will also be collecting gifts of money and nonperishable food for the families it serves across the greater Sewanee community. 

The Sewanee Chorale will lead Christmas carols. Refreshments will be served and Santa Claus will be available for pictures with the children. 

Sing-Along with Handel’s “Messiah”

Join the “Messiah” Sing-Along at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, in All Saints’ Chapel. The Sewanee Chorale, under the direction of Gary Sturgis, will host the magical event. Come and bring your own score, or borrow one and sing with the Chorale. 

If you are not a singer, come and be a part of the audience. Nothing will bring you the spirit of Christmas faster than to hear Handel’s marvelous work performed in the splendor of the Christmas decorations at the Chapel.

Santa Claus Comes to Sewanee for Two Tree Lightings on Dec. 6

The University and the Sewanee Business Alliance have joined together to host the first annual Mountain Lights Festival. Two Christmas trees will be lit, and the shops of downtown Sewanee will light up on Friday, Dec. 6.

Students and community members will gather at 5 p.m. to light a tree in the Quad. Santa will then lead a procession down University Avenue with the Sewanee Cambiata and the Sewanee Chorale singing Christmas carols. 

 At 5:30 p.m. in Angel Park in downtown Sewanee, folks will gather for the lighting of the Village Christmas Tree. 

Bonnie and John McCardell will be on hand to help light the trees. Santa Claus will be available for photos with the kids under the music pavilion. There will be cocoa and cookies.

Please bring unwrapped toys for Operation Noel. Gifts of money and nonperishable food will be collected for the Community Action Committee (CAC).

Decorating of the Christmas tree at Angel Park will be at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 4. All are welcome to come help with this festive activity. 

Holiday Music Across the Plateau

There are many special music events on the Mountain this week. All events are free and open to the public.

The second annual Jazz Night featuring the University Student Jazz Band and the Student Jazz Quartet, led by Prakash Wright, will be at 7 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 7, at the Ayres Multi-Cultural Center.

Linda Heck will perform 8–10 p.m., today, Dec. 7, at Stirling’s. Heck is a songwriter, singer, guitar player, producer, and Sewanee local. 

The Sewanee Chorale is hosting a community sing-a-long of Handel’s “Messiah” at 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, in All Saints Chapel. People may sing with the Chorale or come be part of the audience. To print the public domain music, go to <http://tinyurl.com/akzratb>. 

Sewanee Praise, the University’s gospel choir, will have its fall concert at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, in St. Luke’s Chapel. 

Morton Memorial United Methodist Church is hosting a “Mountain Christmas” at 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9. There will be arrangements of Appalachian Christmas carols. Joining the choir will be the Good Ol’ Boys Bluegrass Band, Regina Rourk Childress and April Minkler, Cricket & Snail and storytellers Jette Halliday, Diana Hague and Susan Ramsay. Morton Memorial is located at 330 Main St., Monteagle. 

The St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Chorus will perform at 12:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 10, for the Sewanee Women’s Club’s Christmas luncheon at the DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle. 

Sewanee’s A Cappella Groups, Cadence and Cambiata, will present their winter concert at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Guerry Auditorium. Following the concert, there will be a reception in the McGriff Alumni House.

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School middle and upper school choruses, chamber ensemble and stage band will present a holiday concert at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts on the SAS campus.

Finally, there is live music at a number of area restaurants this weekend, including Pearl’s Foggy Mountain Café, the Smoke House and Dave’s Modern Tavern. Check with these venues for details.

Sewanee’s First Tree Lighting

Join with friends and family this afternoon, Nov. 30, when Sewanee lights its Christmas Tree in the Sewanee Angel Park and ushers in the holidays on the Mountain with music and fun.

The festivities will begin at 4:30 p.m. Bonnie and John McCardell will do the honors of turning on the lights.

To help families in need in Sewanee, participants are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys for Operation NOEL, which will be collected by members of the Sewanee Fire Department for distribution on Christmas Eve. Also, gifts of money and nonperishable food will be collected for the Community Action Committee (CAC). 

The Sewanee Chorale will lead Christmas carols. Refreshments will be served, and Santa Claus will be available for pictures with the children. Bring your own camera.

This event is organized and sponsored by the Sewanee Business Alliance.  Organizers hope that this celebration can be a new holiday tradition in Sewanee.

In case of inclement weather for the tree lighting, refreshments and Santa will be hosted by Locals, across the street from Angel Park in the Sewanee Village.