The Tuks Camerata, one of South Africa’s top choirs, will perform with Missouri State University’s Chorale at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts 7:30 p.m. March 13.

High school choirs from Nixa and Republic will also perform. Daniel Gutierrez conducts the Nixa choir, and Chandler Cooper conducts the Republic choir. Gutierrez and Cooper are both MSU graduates.

MSU students, faculty and staff can receive up to two complimentary tickets by presenting their Bearpass ID at the box office. Tickets can also be purchased online.

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Concert reflects range of musical styles

The Tuks Camerata and MSU Chorale will form a combined choir, said Dr. Cameron LaBarr, Clif and Gail Smart Professor in Music and Director of Choral Studies.

“This concert encapsulates the power that choral music has to bring people together,” LaBarr said. “Our two choirs come from different backgrounds, yet we are united in our love for communal music making.”

They will perform pieces that showcase the wide range of musical styles from the USA and South Africa and will later feature on an album they will record in March, he added.

“Working with the MSU Chorale is a little like being at home. There is so much similar to our approaches and philosophies pertaining to choral music,” said Dr. Michael Barrett-Berg, conductor of Tuks Camerata and Senior Lecturer at the University of Pretoria.

Showcasing local and international talent

Tuks Camerata has received national and international acclaim throughout its 57 year history, according to LaBarr. The choir consists of 82 full-time students from various fields of study.

The choirs from Nixa and Republic are also some of the best in the area and showcase the young talent that Missouri has to offer, he added. Nixa’s choir and Tuks Camerata have both been selected to perform at the American Choral Directors Association national conference in March.

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to collaborate with Tuks Camerata,” LaBarr said. “This is truly not a concert you will want to miss.”