Central Methodist University will bring the sounds of bluegrass and choral music together for “A Weekend of Bluegrass at CMU,” Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18, 2026, at Linn Memorial United Methodist Church on the CMU campus in Fayette.
The special two-day celebration will feature nationally acclaimed Monroe Crossing, Dove Creek, and singers from the Central Methodist University Chorale and Conservatory Singers. The weekend offers audiences two distinctive musical experiences: an evening celebrating American bluegrass on Saturday, followed by a unique collaboration between bluegrass musicians and university choirs on Sunday.
The weekend begins Saturday, October 17, at 7 p.m. with the Bluegrass Festival Concert, featuring Monroe Crossing and Dove Creek.
Kentucky-based Dove Creek, a professional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel ensemble known for its fine musicianship, smooth harmonies, and wide-ranging repertoire, will share the stage with Monroe Crossing, an acclaimed bluegrass ensemble celebrated for its energetic performances, instrumental virtuosity, tight vocal harmonies, and engaging blend of traditional and contemporary bluegrass. Saturday evening will give audiences the opportunity to experience both ensembles in a concert devoted to the sound, spirit, and storytelling of American bluegrass.
The celebration takes a dramatic turn on Sunday, October 18, at 3 p.m., when the sound of bluegrass meets choral tradition in Carol Barnett’s The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass. The concert will feature the CMU Chorale and Conservatory Singers, conducted by Dr. Thomas Clark, director of choral activities at Central, with Monroe Crossing returning as guest artists.
Barnett’s The World Beloved combines the structure and texts associated with the traditional Mass with the distinctly American sounds of bluegrass. Fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, bluegrass vocals, and mixed chorus come together in a work that moves between moments of exuberant celebration and deeply expressive reflection.
“Saturday night, our audience gets to experience bluegrass musicians doing what they do best,” Clark said. “Then on Sunday, we bring that same musical tradition together with the sound of our University choirs. The World Beloved is joyful, powerful, and incredibly moving. It honors both traditions without asking either one to give up what makes it unique.”
For CMU students, the performance also provides an opportunity to collaborate directly with professional bluegrass musicians and experience a style of music rarely encountered in traditional collegiate choral repertoire.
“This is the kind of experience we want to give our students,” Clark added. “They are not simply learning notes for another concert. They are working alongside professional musicians, exploring an important American musical tradition, and discovering how different musical worlds can come together to create something extraordinary.”
Through the generous sponsorship of Commercial Trust Company, Central Methodist will offer the entire Weekend of Bluegrass free of charge, making both performances accessible to students, families, alumni, and the wider community.