Maryville College joins participating local high schools for a Choir Festival extravaganza
Oct. 31, 2025
Maryville College is hosting its annual Choir Festival Concert, giving high school and college choral ensembles from the region a space to spend the day rehearsing, learning, participating in combined performances, and engaging in workshops designed to enhance their musical skills, according to Stacey Wilner, director of choral activities at MC.
Dr. Robyn Rocklein, a visiting lecturer of music at MC, will be leading one of these workshops.
“I will be teaching a brief overview of the mechanics of the voice, how it operates and functions,” Rocklein said. “Teaching young and inspired students means a great deal to me. These students are the future.”
The annual Choir Festival Concert is set to take place at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts. During the festival, Maryville College will welcome five participating local high schools, as well as the MC Concert Choir, Lads, Lassies and Off Kilter, to participate in these workshops. Participating ensembles include:
- Heritage High School with Choir Director Tyler Owens;
- Maryville High School with Choir Director Byron Davis;
- Seymour High School with Choir Director Merritt Boling;
- Alcoa High School with Choir Director Jasmine Andrews; and
- Jefferson County High School with Choir Director Lindsey Lively ’20.
Lively will be returning not as an MC student, but as a choir leader whose responsibilities mirror those of Wilner, under whom she studied during her undergraduate years.
“During my time at MC, I sang in three ensembles: The Maryville College Concert Choir, Lassies and Off Kilter,” Lively said. “My experiences at MC really shaped me into the teacher I am today. It’s not just about striving for musical excellence, although that is certainly a goal; it’s also about fostering a sense of community and camaraderie between the members of the choir.”
Now a choir director herself, this is what Lively hopes her own students experience.
“Over my four years at MC, the choir was my second family; it was where I felt like I belonged,” she said. “I learned so much from Stacey Wilner about what goes into creating a successful choir. Now, as a teacher, I work to create a similar atmosphere for the students in my choir. I want them to look back on their experience in high school choir and fondly remember, not just the music, but also the people.”
During the festival, participants will have access to rehearsal time in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre, giving them the chance to practice in the spacious MC proscenium. During the lunch hour, food trucks will be provided, giving students the perfect opportunity to relax and socialize with one another between workshop sessions.
At 2:30 p.m., the public is invited to enjoy the festival concert, which Wilner says promises a showcase of harmony, skill and collaboration among the region’s finest young choral ensembles.
“Besides the performance, choir festivals nurture musical literacy, ensemble skills and a deeper understanding of vocal artistry,” Wilner said. “A choir festival is an opportunity for high school singers to listen deeply—not only to their voices but to others—learning from every ensemble in the hall.”
Tickets are $12.50 plus tax for general admission, and free for MC faculty, staff and students, although a printed ticket from the Clayton Center box office is required for admission. For more information, call the box office at 865-981-8590.
— Written by McKenna Marr ’28