Mary Alice Stollak

Review: The MSU Children's Choir program began in 1993 with the founding of the MSU Community Music School. The program now has 145 singers representing 23 different school districts and communities. The Choir has been honored to perform at the 2002 6th World Symposium on Choral Music as the representative of the US, and at numerous conventions of the ACDA. Mary Alice Stollak directs the talented Choir in 12 exquisite (mostly organ accompanied) Christmas carols and a pair of sacred pieces, Bach's sublime "Ave Maria" and "Alleluia." There's some rarely heard French carols, "Manger Carol" and "Oh, Leave Your Sheep," English and Irish traditional carols, "Wexford Carol" and "Sussex Carol," and traditional German, "Still, Still, Still;" in additional to "Joy to the World," "Silent Night" and others. The Choir has a sweet, bright sound that makes "A Classic Christmas" a very special album.

Songlist: Joy To The World, Manger Carol, Ave Maria, Wexford Carol, Oh, Leave Your Sheep, Silent Night, Ding Dong! Merrily On High, Alleluia, Sussex Carol, Angels We Have Heard On High, Still, Still, Still, O Come, All Ye Faithful

Review: Mary Alice Stollak was the 2001 recipient of ACDA-MI's Maynard Klein Award for Lifetime Achievement and Dedication to the Choral Art, and recordings by her MSUCC show us why. 18 feel-good, lightly accompanied tunes. The songlist includes lesser-known pieces like Imant Raminsh's "My Heart's Friend" and "Song of the Stars," Rollo Dilworth's "Jordan's Angels" and "Marchin' to Freedom," Lee Kesselman's "Eiliyahu Hanavi," Brian Holmes' "Roger Bobo Plays the Tuba" and John Burge's "Epilogue from Simple Songs." Spirituals like "Deep River" and "My Lord What a Morning" segue into Stephen Foster's "Some Folks Do" and "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," and Ronald Newman and Sonny Wilkinson's "Billy and Ming Do the Bebop Thing." A fun, beautifully sung collection!

Songlist: My Hearts Friend, Marchin' To Freedom, Eilyahu Hanavi, Auld Lang Syne, Some Folks Do, Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, Let All The World In Every Coner Sing, Hope, Jordan's Angels, For Elizabeth: Gold, Frank, Innocence, And Mirth, Ach! Synku Synku, Deep River, Epilogue From Simple Songs, Song Of The Stars, Roger Bobo Plays The Tuba, Hist whist (e.e. cummings), Billy And Ming Do The Bebop Thing, My Lord, What a Mornin'

Review: The MSUCC, open to children in grades 4 through 9, has performed at many ACDA conventions and as guest artists with the Lansing, Rochester and MSU Symphonies. Choir founder Stollak directs them in a pair of dramatic works, Robert Jager's 6-movement "I Dream of Peace," from the 1993 book, "I Dream of Peace, Images of War by Children of the Former Yugoslavia," and Marjan Helms' "Terezin Lieder," a choral setting of poetry from "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," written by children interred at Terezin concentration camp. A touching, poignant, thought-provoking collection from a poised and talented children's choir

Songlist: Terezin Lieder, Tears, On A Sunny Evening, To Olga, I Dream Of Peace, Prelude "As If Nothing Happened", I Am Speaking To You, War Is The Saddest Word, In My Dreams, Testimony, If I Were President, I Dream Of Peace, Ave Maria

Review: "Music" is an excellent collection of Christmas Songs by Conductor and Founder Stollak's sweet-singing MSUCC, all lightly piano (and sometimes flute) accompanied. Classics like "I Saw Three Ships," "Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella," "Wassail Song," "Pat-a-Pan," "Ding Dong, Merrily on High" and "White Christmas" segue nicely into lesser-known tunes like Paul Carey's "A Cradle Song," Nancy Cobb's "Hodie," and Eleanor Daley's title tune. John Rutter's "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day," Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" are icing on a very tasty Christmas cake!

Songlist: I Saw Three Ships, Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella, A Cradle Song, La Bonne Nouvelle, Wassail Song, Hodie, Cantate Domino, Pat-A-Pan, Ding Dong! Merrily On High, What Sweeter Music, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, White Christmas, The Christmas Song, On Christmas Morn