The Central Methodist University Chorale will set out on its annual tour once again under the direction of Dr. Tom Clark and accompanied by Prof. Zachary Kierstead on piano. The tour will feature four concerts open to the public, as the choir visits a number of United Methodist churches and high schools in the state from November 19 through 23.
The 2026 tour program will include The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass, composed by Carol Barnett and previously performed by the Chorale during Bluegrass Weekend at CMU.
“The World Beloved is joyful, powerful, and incredibly moving. It honors both traditions without asking either one to give up what makes it unique,” Clark said previously of the work.
The full program will be performed at nine different locations throughout the tour, public concerts and worship services open to the community and school performances for students and school audiences only. The tour schedule includes:
Thursday, November 19
8:45 a.m. – Hallsville High School
1:00 p.m. – Troy Buchanan High School
7:00 p.m. – St. Stephen United Methodist Church, Troy
Friday, November 20
10:00 a.m. – Eureka High School
TBD – McCluer North High School
7:00 p.m. – Wentzville United Methodist Church, Wentzville
Sunday, November 22
11:00 a.m. – Salem United Methodist Church (Ladue), St. Louis
7:00 p.m. – Manchester United Methodist Church, Manchester
Monday, November 23
10:50 & 11:45 a.m. – North County High School
Personnel for the Chorale tour includes the following students:
Soprano – Colleen Allen, Lizzie Berry, Memphis Eckert, Rachel Harris, Richelle Milburn, Grace O’Neal, and Cecilia Rancatore
Alto – Mallory Boyer, Aubrey Cutler, Emeline DeLapp, Abi Evans, Piper Merrill, Sydney VanGundy, and Presley Weingart
Tenor – Douglas Burchett, Kyle Drewes, Hunter Felten, Owen Flores, Jackson Krause, Wesley Miner, and Juan Prada
Bass – Davis Conway, Matthew Kreisler, Wyatt Mitchell, Saxon Post, Brandon Prince, Caleb Scantlin, and Ethan Schaefferkoetter