The Missouri State University Choirs hosted the fifth annual Choral Gala at Hotel Vandivort on September 30, 2023, raising over $50,000 for students in the choral program.

The event included a cocktail hour followed by dinner, a performance from the MSU Chorale, silent and live auctions and the presentation of the 2023 Rick and Dee Uebel Award to President Clif and Gail Smart.

Dr. Cameron LaBarr, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies, was “extremely pleased” with the event.

“There was a certain energy at this event that is quite hard to describe,” LaBarr said. “It’s amazing when the arts are combined with passionate people with generous spirit!”

Members of the MSU Chorale perform for gala attendees.

MSU Chorale performs

One highlight of the evening was the performance of three selections by the MSU Chorale.

“Cum Sancto Spiritu,” by Korean composer Hyo-Won Woo, was a significant choice, LaBarr said. The Chorale will travel to Jeju and Seoul, South Korea, to perform this selection at the Jeju International Choral Festival in Feb. 2024.

In addition, the Chorale sang Bob Dylan’s “The Times They are A-Changin.’”

The lyrics “have stood the test of time,” LaBarr said. “They are just as meaningful today as they were when the song was written.”

Finally, the Chorale performed “Daniel, Servant of the Lord,” arranged by Stacey V. Gibbs. The song will also be performed at the Feb. 2024 South Korea festival as well as in South America in May 2024.

Smarts honored with 2023 Uebel Award

Gala attendees also enjoyed watching MSU President Clif Smart and his wife, Gail Smart, be awarded the 2023 Rick and Dee Uebel Award.

“Clif and Gail have supported the choral program the entire tenure of Clif’s presidency,” LaBarr said.

Not only did President Smart secure the opportunity for the MSU Chorale to perform at the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, but both President and Mrs. Smart traveled extensively through the U.S. and Europe to support the students in the program, according to LaBarr.

“I can confidently say that no other university president in the country is as supportive of a choral program and the arts as Clif Smart,” LaBarr added.

Student and alumni comments praise the Smarts

During the gala, LaBarr read several comments, provided by students and alumni, that highlighted the Smarts’ impact on the MSU Chorale.

Among those comments was one from Chandler Cooper.

“The legacy that the Smarts have had on the Choral Studies program, Missouri State University, and Springfield as a whole is unmatched. They are two individuals who embody the highest level of generosity, character, and leadership,” Cooper said.

Connor (Ewens) Davis added that the Smarts’ “support and advocacy for the arts was infectious and has led to many amazing opportunities for students involved in music.”

“I will always brag about how blessed the MSU choral program has been to have leaders like Clif and Gail supporting them all these years,” said Haley Yonke. “No one deserves this award more.”

About the Rick and Dee Uebel Award

The Rick and Dee Uebel Award was created in 2019 to annually recognize key supporters of the choral program.

“Rick and Dee set the standard of support for these students,” LaBarr said, “[by] not only assisting them financially, but [also] opening their home to us, connecting our students with professional opportunities and providing encouragement when students might least expect it.”

The Uebels also host a Chorale concert in their home every January, LaBarr added.

Past recipients of the Rick and Dee Uebel Award include Rick and Dee Uebel (2019), Dan and Melissa Scott (2020), Rose Mary Owens (2021) and Gerrit Scheepers (2022).

About the MSU Choral Gala

LaBarr explained how, while having a long-standing international reputation, the MSU Choirs often faced limited financial assistance with no funded endowments available until the Dr. Guy B. Webb Touring Scholarship was created in 2014.

“The Choral Gala was started to meet this need for funding, creating awareness about the great work done by students in the program and the funding opportunities available,” LaBarr said.

The MSU Choirs have set goals to raise four million dollars for the Choral Endowment while securing gifts for other endowed funds related to choral activities, including the Dr. Guy B. Webb Touring Scholarship, the Rose Mary Owens Endowed Choral Fund, the Scheepers Memorial Choral Fund, the Larry and Glenna Frazier Scholarship and the Teresa and Richard Ollis Chorale Fund.

Plans are in the works for the 2024 gala, but details such as date and venue have not been determined.

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Learn more about MSU’s Choral Studies

Photos by Kevin White, Missouri State University.