MSU hosts choral performance honoring Anne Frank
Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Department of Music is honoring the life and writings of Anne Frank with a special performance April 3 on the university’s campus.
Schola Cantorum, MSU’s largest four choral ensemble, will present “Anne Frank: A Living Voice,” 7:30 p.m., in the Music Building Recital Hall, 124 Hardy Road. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and may be purchased at the door starting at 6:30 p.m. or at https://www.music.msstate.edu/events. Admission is free for MSU students with ID, and MSU faculty and staff receive a 50% discount.
The concert’s music is composed by Linda Tutas Haugen and the lyrics are excerpts from Frank’s diary. Phillip Stockton, associate director of choral studies, said the students are reading the diary as a class and taking time each week to discuss various aspects of the book.
“This music is a powerful piece that has been very impactful for the students in our preparation,” said Stockton. “I have found that by reading Anne Frank’s diary and discussing it as a group, we have humanized a young girl that was living in an impossible situation. We hope that by bringing this work to life we honor her memory and courage she showed against evil.”
Sarah Beth Heard, a junior voice and psychology double major from Ocean Springs, shared how meaningful the experience has been for her and the other students.
“Working on this has been such an incredible experience,” said Heard. “One thing I and the rest of the choir have really enjoyed is getting to discuss Anne Frank’s diary together in class every Tuesday. I think it’s really important to do this so we’re always keeping her in mind while working on the music, especially since the text we sing is taken from her diary. It’s been very meaningful for all of us to help keep Anne’s voice alive as well as the voices of all victims of the Holocaust.”
MSU’s College of Education, home of the Department of Music, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at https://www.educ.msstate.edu/.
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