Lindenwood University Voices Only Reunion Concert 03/23/2024

good evening everyone as the department head of Performing Arts here at Lindenwood it is my immense pleasure on behalf of the College of Arts and Humanities to welcome you to the voices only reunion concert the music program at lyndenwood University boasts a storied Legacy that traces its roots back to the late 1800s 23 years ago the remarkable Acappella choir known as voices only was woven into this historical tapestry Dr Jim Henry professor of Music established voices only with a threefold purpose to engage with our St Charles Community to serve as a dynamic recruitment asset for our music program and above all to create scholarship opportunities for our incredibly talented students in 2007 Professor Grooms joined the Vibrant Community of Lindenwood University assuming the director role of voices only since that pivotal moment this talented group has graced University events over 200 performances in total enriching graduations Galas and other such memorable occasions beyond the campus the harmonies have resonated in numerous Community venues as pre-show entertainment Regional high schools and cherished Church Gatherings their music transcends boundaries uniting hearts and leaving a lasting mark on all who listen since 2007 voices only has been a musical home for more than 60 music majors and more than 60 students from other Majors across campus over the years these students traveled across the region to perform and recruit in Kansas City Branson Chicago Memphis and Nashville and in 2012 they received the distinguished honor of performing at the annual Missouri music educators Association conference voices only has been an anchor for Lindenwood student participants often becoming the highlight of their time here on campus tonight we are honored to gather these alumni to the stage to join our current voices only students over the years the group has been blessed with Incredible student leadership will the assistant directors of voices only and the choir managers please stand to be recognized for their years of service and Leadership [Applause] tonight we honor the past celebrate the present and embrace the future may The Melodies transport you the harmonies uplift you and the Rhythm unite us all without further Ado I give you voices only [Applause] [Music] your this is this land was made for you and me this is your is cforia to New York is from the Rood to the Gold Stream water this land was made for you [Music] this land is your land this land is my [Music] Califor for you and [Music] [Music] for [Music] and is your this is my from Califoria to the New York from the Redwood Forest to the this was for you and me this land is your land this land is my land [Music] water this was made for you and me this was for you and this was made for you [Applause] good evening uh my name is PJ chaa and I was the invoices only from 2015 to 2018 one of my favorite memories from voices only was going on the recruiting trips each year during spring break we would travel somewhere within a 5 to six hour radius and hit high schools along the Route at each School Grooms would start off her Spiel this is voices only we perform music from the Renaissance to the present day which ex is exemplified by our pieces tonight Grooms and I bonded over our love from magical which starts off this next set many people from 2015 to 2018 may remember a French magical we sing Le Shante wazo um some days it was a beautiful piece with fun flutter tonging and bird calls other days it was a torture device please enjoy a dear heart you stole my love and how can I keep from singing [Music] [Music] sh [Music] for [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] s [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] you pain is to prove you for your love and for never longer be such a craer but [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Pro [Music] [Music] [Music] you you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and all that's [Music] t [Music] [Applause] [Music] in [Music] s [Music] so [Music] [Music] with [Music] All She Walks in Beauty [Music] like [Music] [Applause] hello my name is Amanda Davidson and I was in voices only from 2005 to 2010 the best part about college was definitely voices only it was a safe place a class filled with people that just wanted to make music and loved every moment of it and everyone was accepted just as they are my favorite times were singing tags in the stairwell making up silly choreog graphy to songs that you'll never actually see on stage and of course laughing and singing when we were carpooling to our gigs Grooms makes everyone feel like family and here we are today as one big family our next set will be Nelly BL and lo lomman and thank you so much for all of the Magical Musical memories [Music] love I'll sing [Music] [Applause] for bring the along kitchen clean my dear and have aong my love and make the burn while take [Music] [Music] theing I'll sing for you for you [Music] as a [Music] [Applause] te I'll sing for you for youel love to me I'll sing for [Music] for bring our tear to the of [Music] your I love to me I'll sing for you for [Music] NY [Music] [Applause] by B Banks and by y b bra where the sun shines [Music] bright where me and me true love ever want to G on the B [Music] Bon take the high and I'll take the L and I'll be in Scot of and the true love will again on [Music] the [Music] GL the of [Music] where [Music] [Music] [Music] the we sing and the wild flow spring and in sunshine the do sleep but the broken heart will can Second Spring again and the world knows not how we grieve [Music] d [Music] [Music] the [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and true will never me again [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] of course it would be me oh hi good evening everyone my name is Nadia Maddox and I was in voices only from 2018 to 2021 um I first have a groom's memory and then I have a Voice's only memory there are very few people you meet that you connect with instantly but when I met Pam groms I knew I was going to like her it was May and I auditioned late for the following semester at lyndenwood after watching a voices only rehearsal and doing my audition she invited me to her office to tell her about myself which I had never experienced in any other audition I just like walked in and did it and left and said bye um but she's personable so that's her thing however before I could say anything outside of my name and I am not exaggerating I sat down and then I said before we start I just want to say your cheekbones look phenomenal girl and then I said now we can continue I spent an hour and a period I spent an hour and a half in her office that day and I am pleased to say I spent many hours in her office after that her office for me like many others up here became a safe place to talk to Mama we talked about the good the bad the ugly we laughed and we cried all the things as she would say my favorite voices only memory is from the 2019 2020 season that year we decided to have a station for our voices only spring break tour and visit St Louis area schools one of the days we took a trip to Union Station as a group and rode the Ferris wheel while in the ferris wheel the assistant director at the time Dylan Carl suggested that we sing inside the ferris wheel which I thought was a great idea um I had the Solo in the piece The Nearness of You which was one of our favorites of the season so I started to sing the solo and all the people riding sang with me little did we know that that was the last time we'd be singing that song together or at all for that matter the ride was short and so was our season that year due to co but it is to this day one of my favorite memories and story tell our next set is all of groom's favorite voices only spirituals which include my favorite way over in bu land Give Me Jesus and ain't of that good news [Applause] [Music] good [Music] you oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a good time way over we Street [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] sing We to drink of the Holy drink the holy sing [Applause] [Music] have a good [Music] time oh yes [Applause] [Music] go [Music] Jesus give me J [Music] Jesus you may all me Jesus I to die oh when I come to die I to give me Jesus [Music] all [Music] Theus give me Jes Jus Give Me Jesus you may all rest [Music] [Applause] Jus I got got CR [Music] upsss got that kingom that good I'm going to lay down this world should my to take it [Music] home take it home [Applause] [Music] thats upes news good news Hallelujah good news Hallelujah good news Newsom news Newser up cross take homeus good news [Music] to all of children [Applause] [Applause] hi my name is Jenna and I was a member of voices only for three years I was the assistant director during the 2015 2016 school year I'll always remember meeting our group for the very first time we all stood in a circle around the choir room and started the rehearsal by introducing ourselves I was a music education major but I was surprised to hear what some of the others were studying business marketing theater criminal justice accounting theology just to name a few I realized then that everyone who was standing in front of me was there because they wanted to be there not because they were required to be and I think that speaks volumes to the nature of this group we all sang because it was a vital part of our Lives as a music Major I was surrounded by music constantly but for others this might have been their only opportunity to fill the part of their hearts that singing and creating music could fill when we talk about the bond voices only has it truly is like no other I cannot count the number of times I found myself caught up in the feeling of singing As One Voice one person all lost in the music and existing in that very same moment together we knew each other and our hearts and we knew them well not only did we make beautiful music together but we celebrated together laughed together and cried together a friend from voices only was never far away to offer support our biggest supporter though was Professor grooms in every rehearsal she promoted a sense of purpose and belonging within the group she gave us tough love when we deserved it and trust me sometimes we definitely deserved it she pushed us to solve to problem solve and gave us ample opportunities to show leadership her office door was always open if we needed someone to listen her example as our director and Mentor made us want to strive for high standards she wanted nothing more than to see us succeed which is why it really is so special to be here tonight celebrating Professor Grooms and all the past and present members of voices only I hope you enjoy two of my favorite songs which perfectly Encompass the special bond between singers and the importance of the music we make sing me to heaven and how can I keep from singing [Applause] [Music] St of alone are and and my heart in response toing silence [Music] [Music] me you would comfort me sing me you With My Heart Sing [Music] me [Music] you me and bring me to God all sing me [Applause] to touch me love and [Music] passion and comfort andion pain and [Music] pleas love me comfort me bring me to God sing [Music] me sing to [Music] [Applause] [Music] my go in Endless song Above [Music] I [Music] the thats a new creation no storm can sh [Music] I keep how can I keep from [Music] S I know the truth will guide me Al [Music] [Music] theide Earth how can I keep how can I from singing noar shake my [Music] [Applause] [Music] I how can I keep how can I keep how can I keep [Music] [Music] [Applause] unlike the other folks who have spoken this evening um I did not actually write anything down and prepare which anyone behind me is not at all surprised by that so we're just going to see what happens my name is Curtis Hinrich I was in voices only from 2010 to 2015 those of you who can do quick math I know you're thinking to yourself that's 5 years but why um I loved Lynwood so much I decided to do a Victory lap and a half no um in actuality I was one of those people throughout my time at lywood I kind of waffled around what I was going to do I Knew music was what I was going to do but came in I started as uh V music education voice then I was music education instrumental and voice then just voice performance then I added to theater minor for a little while then I got rid of the minor put instrumental back on then I was like I got to graduate someday and uh I was like no I'm just going to do performance and then uh Professor grooms in her wisdom and wonderful guidance said to me one day you're going to come back next fall you're going to get your education degree and you're going to like it because you're going to be my assistant director of voices only so um I'm forever grateful for that nudge though and I know there are so many up here and so many who aren't up here who have come through the time at lyndenwood who are music educators because of Professor Grooms if you're up here and you in some way teach music somehow in a studio in a classroom whatever can you stand real quick and it's all because of the wonderful Professor Grims I'm going to end with a a funny story earlier than this night PJ mentioned that every spring break part of spring break voices only would go on a recruiting tour which is always the highlight of the year so much fun well we would always travel in two 15 passenger vans going through back country Woods Missouri and almost every trip we're going to see how long this tradition's been around almost every trip at some point there would be a wrong turn and so then we all would go on adventure and what did we sing the best part is though the worst we got lost was down in po popler Bluff and it was actually my fault um I was dead certain that I put in the right address to popular Bluff High School I did not and once we went down for gravel roads we found an old man and said help please we did find the high school and uh you know so uh for something completely different from us now voices only does everything from magical all the way to present day so this next set is our Jazz set we've got Route 66 what'll I do words and that ever I saw song [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] to M travel my way take the highway that's the best get your kicks on Route [Music] 66 66 now Lou Missi Oklahoma Citys [Music] [Music] [Music] K [Music] on6 6 [Applause] [Music] [Music] and I [Music] am I am [Music] is kissing you [Music] what tell my TR what I do to tell my [Music] TR [Music] [Applause] I with you what I [Music] [Applause] [Music] possession as a complicated tool created by mancession of the genius and the fool everybody every everywhere every [Applause] [Music] [Music] words impression of the St and the smart everybody every and and proud expression by living and every [Music] everywhere hear them them you can read them love them fear them [Music] [Music] [Music] hear them them bre them [Music] love you [Music] canar you can read Str [Applause] is gentle and Al all she the [Music] pr to sing [Music] to will the best I to see her fingers that be small in my con [Music] [Music] [Music] I I have seen many have [Music] Beauty [Music] I I dare to say I shall have the [Music] I [Music] [Applause] hello my name is Amelia and I was in voices only from 2010 to 2014 um the year 2014 that spring concert was one of my favorites um as assistant director I got the opportunity to direct a song um and usually you can choose which set it's in or figure it out and the pop set was always one of my favorites a lot of my fellow section members arranged songs for the pop set or chose songs to conduct in the pop set and so it was very near and dear to my heart um around 2014 was also when pentatonics was very very popular and we actually went and saw them in concert during one of our trips and even years after we went and go see Thea group and their original song Run to You was just one that meant so much to me and I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to sing um its Rich chords and harmonies and uh joyous words together so that's one of my favorite memories from being and voices only [Applause] I'm G to talk to um I'm going to join Curtis I didn't write anything down either but um next year will Mark 20 years since I auditioned for this group which is wild um but it's not just about the music we make or the experiences we share there's so many things deeply rooted within this group um when I was 17 years old and IED I didn't think that literally standing on this stage there would be the Godmother of one of my daughters The Godfather of one of my daughters my best friends one of my bandmates quartet mates and actually one of the person that just talked is an employee at my studio so there's so many deeply rooted things so it's it really is a family and um my senior year I had to be put on vocal rest and that sucked and this family back here supported me made sure I still felt like I was a part of The Ensemble even though I didn't get to perform vocally as the assistant director I got to direct more and um puts things in perspective I would have never gotten the experience to arrange an eight-part AC cappella cover of dreamon and perform it with these awesome people so that is something I'll absolutely never forget and um I deemed the name Mini Me from Grooms I'm even matching her tonight on accident so um nothing changes much and that's a good thing so we just want to thank you for doing this for us because this is really for her but thank you for doing this for us um so with that let's continue with run to you and Fields of Gold [Applause] [Music] standing there it was true as your GL my your heart D like the land split by sea I to [Music] [Music] [Music] to been I've been F but your and our King is shall I your [Music] was I have broken and [Music] [Music] to you I will break down the G of heav thous Angels waiting for me take my heart take my heart my sh to set me free [Music] [Music] to you [Music] to [Music] [Applause] [Music] la [Music] as we walk in fields of [Music] am the felds [Music] of will you stay with me will you be my love among fields [Music] of for [Music] theal as fi of gold see [Music] the of feel her body rise when you kiss among the fields [Music] of I BR swear still walk in fields of C walk in fields [Music] [Music] of years since summer days am the fields ofy see the children as the the FI [Music] of the field of you can tell us in his star [Music] when we in Field of [Music] Gold we of [Applause] [Music] I could truly listen to you all sing all night you're amazing thank you for those gifts before the final number of the evening there is an incredibly special someone who we are celebrating tonight Professor Grooms would you please join me up here as you all may know our director of voices only our very own Professor Pamela Grooms is retiring in this year Professor Grooms you are truly a gifted educator a loving I'm not going to cry and supportive Coral director and a fiercely loved member of our Performing Arts team for all of your years of service dang it and for all that you've given to lynen Wood our facult faculty and staff and all that you've given to your remarkable voices only students we honor and thank you thank you so much Professor Grooms loves to give gifts um she gave us all these beautiful crocheted ornaments for Christmas she's given scarves she's given hats she loves to give us presents and so it's only fair give you something too so from all of us we have some flowers and we made you a book and it has a photo from every voices only and everyone here tonight has signed it and left some notes for you to look over wow because we love you [Applause] [Music] sit down now sure after dedicating 17 years of service to lyndenwood Professor Grooms aims to ensure her Legacy continues to positively impact the music program to achieve this she has established the Pamela Grooms Coral music education endowed scholarship fund it's a mouthful if you would like to honor Professor Grooms and support her students outstanding work please consider a donation we have very conveniently placed a QR code in the front cover of your program and the university will be promoting this initiative during our week of giving in early April thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate this incredible educator and this truly remarkable group of alumni and students for one final number together I once again give you voices only [Music] [Music] and don't be afraid of the [Music] Gold Sky and the sweet [Music] silver through the through the your dreams be [Music] and with hope in your heart [Music] you never [Music] walk through the wind through the rain oh your dreams [Applause] be [Music] and with open in your heart and you never your never oh [Applause] pleas