Small Choral Ensembles step into the spotlight for Oct. 21 Clayton Center concert
Sept. 29, 2025
They may be considered “small” in size, but the ensembles scheduled to perform on Oct. 21 are mighty in sound, and when members raise their voices collectively, it will be a memorable performance for all who attend.
The Maryville College Small Choral Ensembles concert, which is open to the public, will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall of the Clayton Center for the Arts on the MC campus.
The Lads, Lassies and Off Kilter will be sharing the stage with several other featured guests.
These guests will be Maryville’s very own Youth Choirs: the Scottie Singers — under the direction of alumna Katie Wagner Philips ’03 — and the Highlander Chorale, which will be directed by choir assistant Jacob Parauka.
“It will be exciting to have the Scottie Singers and Highlander Chorale join us at the concert,” said Stacey Wilner, director of choral activities at Maryville College. “They will even combine with Off Kilter to sing the Lutkin benediction at the end of the program.”
It is always an extravaganza when the lower voices of the Lads combine with the higher voices of the Lassies to create Off Kilter, a spectacular amalgamation of a variety of voices.
“When these two ensembles sing separately, they can achieve a higher degree of tuning and brilliance of tone. When they sing together as Off Kilter, the audience experiences a fuller acoustic sound,” said Wilner. “These students have been working tirelessly, both on their own and together, in order to bring these literature-filled songs to the MC stage.”
At the upcoming performance, concert-goers will hear the Lassies’ rendition of “Mr. Sandman” by Pat Ballard, as well as a chilling cover of “Dolly Waits,” a Halloween-esque song by Ryan Main that is sure to have audience members looking over their shoulders in trepidation during the performance.
As for the Lads, patrons should prepare for a nostalgic and dance-worthy performance of “Come Go With Me” by Clarence Quick, a former member of the classic doo wop group the Del-Vikings.
Although the concert isn’t programmed around a specific theme, some songs performed may appear again during the Maryville College Concert Choir’s spring tour, Wilner said. The concept of the tour, she added, will be related to or along the lines of “dreams and nightmares.”
“The musical inspiration is the contrast and interplay between the beauty of the imagination (dreams) and the darker truths of fear and uncertainty (nightmares),” said Wilner. “We hope to capture these ideas in a musical journey through the subconscious.”
The performance is open to the public. Tickets are $12.50 plus tax, and free for Maryville College students, faculty and staff, and can be purchased at the Clayton Center box office.
— Written by McKenna Marr ’28