ACTU presents ‘Seasonal Celebration’ Dec. 11
Post Published On:Arts for the Community at Thomas University (ACTU) will present a Sunday at Four concert, “Seasonal Celebration,” on Dec. 11 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Thomasville.
This concert will feature tenor Christopher Dean Hendley; soprano Anne McPherson; flutist Karl Barton; keyboardist Raymond Hughes on the piano and organ; vocalists J.W. Watson, Cameron Parker and members of the TOSAC young actors group.
“We are excited that this concert will be returning to the birthplace of the Sundays at Four series,” stated series coordinator and TU Professor of Music Dr. Karl Barton. “We will focus on vocal music in the absence of the Thomasville Singers this year
Works to be performed include selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” art songs, and other popular favorites, including “The Christmas Song,” and the film music “Somewhere in My Memory” from “Home Alone” and “Once Upon a December” from “Anastasia.”
Dr. Hendley has more than 30 years of experience as both a voice teacher and vocal/acting coach. He is a professional singer/actor with numerous stage credits, including leading roles in many operatic and musical theatre productions. Dr. Hendley spent the majority of his academic career at Georgia College & State University where he held the rank of Associate Professor. He also served as Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at Albany State University. His most recent position was at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.
“I am very excited to once again be featured in this series alongside Karl Barton and Raymond Hughes and look forward to a wonderful afternoon of music,” Dr. Hendley said.
Currently, he teaches voice and piano privately and hopes to become involved with the Thomasville Onstage and Company in the near future.
McPherson is a Thomasville native who grew up with a love of the arts. She was in the Thomasville Music and Drama Troupe in high school, as well as several musical productions for Brookwood School. In college, she studied vocal performance and the Classics before a stint in archaeology. McPherson attended Washington and Lee University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree and has been practicing law since 2016.
McPherson appeared at Davidson College as Papagena, as well as Cinderella’s stepmother in “Into the Woods.” After graduation, she was in the cast of “The Producers” at the Little Theater of Alexandria and appeared as Roz in TOSAC’s “9 to 5.” McPherson also attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute while she lived in Los Angeles.
“I moved back to Thomasville during Covid and am excited to sing for Christmas once again,” McPherson said.
Hughes is an American conductor and choral director who served as Chorus Master of the Metropolitan Opera for 17 seasons. He is an accomplished organist and pianist. More recently, he has served as Chorus Master of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and also worked in tandem with Martin Wright with the chorus of the Berlin State Opera.
Hughes maintains an active professional life in Germany and serves as Assistant Music Director and Organist at the Luisenkirche in Berlin. In 2015, he was named Lifetime Honorary Cantor at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Thomasville.
“Making music with good friends and sharing it with the community through the auspices of ACTU and my brother-from-another-mother, Dr. Karl Barton, is what the season is all about. Please join us for this celebration,” Hughes said.
This performance will begin at 4 p.m. Dec. 11, and a reception will follow the concert. It can also be viewed online at www.facebookcom/actu31792/live. No Facebook account is required to view.
ACTU is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about this and other ACTU events, visit www.facebookcom/actu31792 or www.thomasu.edu/actu, call (229) 227-6964 or email actu@thomasu.edu.
