Nostalgia on stage: Maryville College Homecoming Choir brings together alumni, current MC singers
Oct. 7, 2025
Full of lifelong memories and choir-made connections, alumni of the Maryville College Concert Choir will reunite for a poignant Homecoming performance this weekend.
Taking place at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts as part of the annual Founder’s Day Showcase, alumni who spent many of their formative years as singers in the choir will unite with current choir members, as well as members of the Lads, Lassies and Off Kilter, to create the annual ensemble known as the Homecoming Choir. This performance is free and open to the public.
“Engaging in vocal performances alongside the current students of Maryville College provides me with profound solace and optimism,” MC alumnus and guest soloist Dr. Joe Fitzgerald ’05 said. “It affirms the existence of a dedicated assembly of vocalists who ardently endeavor to create harmonious melodies.”
After performing with the Homecoming Choir for two decades, Fitzgerald continues to find passion and inspiration while performing with young students.
“My experience performing with the Maryville College Concert Choir has been a profoundly transformative journey embodying spiritual growth,” Fitzgerald said. “It has cultivated a sense of humility, enhanced vocal dexterity and expanded auditory discernment and tonal versatility. This engagement not only refines my musical abilities, but also enriches my understanding of the intricate relationship between voice and expression.”
That same fervor for music is passed down from past generations of singers and into the hearts of current MC Concert Choir students.
“It’s really special to see the current generations and past generations of the choir all coming together for the music,” MC Concert Choir President Kalli Wilson ’27 said. “It’s a really sweet and special experience when I get to perform with the same people I did when I joined the choir three years ago, even though they’ve now graduated.”
According to MC Choir Assistant Jacob Parauka, concertgoers can expect to hear Off Kilter’s rendition of “Bach (Again): Come Sweet Death” by Edwin London, as well as the Lassies’ “No Time,” a traditional camp meeting song created by Susan Brumfield. The Lads will be doing “A Little Song Of Life,” by Reginald Unterseher.
The Homecoming Choir will perform an additional three songs: “I’ll Be On My Way” by Shawn Kirchner, “Let the Life I’ve Lived Speak for Me” by Gwyneth Walker, and “Ain’t Got Time to Die” by Hall Johnson. There will also be a performance of the College’s beloved Alma Mater.
The concert will be the work of many talented individuals, including alumni coordinators Shelley Maddox ’05 and Olivia Hill ’25, alongside the other guest soloist, Robby Clemens ’20. Josh Sumter ’16 will be serving as the Homecoming Choir director.
“Josh is one of the most talented students I have had the honor of working with,” Stacey Wilner, director of choral music at MC, said. “He is as flexible in his musicianship as he is in his life perspective. He honors every musical style and his fellow musicians with sensitivity and grace.”
After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a Master of Music degree, Sumter’s dedication to music and leadership continues to distinguish him as an exceptional alumnus.
The Homecoming Concert Choir will include more than 80 performers, including 45 current students and 30 to 40 alumni, according to Wilner.
“It’s extremely heartwarming,” Wilner said. “Students I haven’t seen in years walk through the doors to perform again.”
This annual reunion embodies the true meaning of Homecoming, participants add, with current students and alumni raising their voices in song to commemorate the legacy and impact of MC as a 206-year-old institution.
“The profound sense of musical camaraderie inspires me to persist in my participation with the Maryville College Alumni Concert Choir,” Fitzgerald said. “This collective engagement fosters a rich community of shared passion and devotion to the art of singing.”
— Written by McKenna Marr ’28