CARVER Middle School choir will have special Spring concert

Tulsa's Carver Middle School choir is rehearsing for its upcoming Spring Concert, with a world premiere on the program. Students will debut a song composed by the former piano accompanist at Carver,

Friday, May 11th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa's Carver Middle School choir is rehearsing for its upcoming Spring Concert, with a world premiere on the program. Students will debut a song composed by the former piano accompanist at Carver, who dedicated her work to them.

KOTV's Glenda Silvey says Carver Middle School's chorus has never performed a world premiere before. That's one thing that makes singing "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" so important. The other is the fact that it was written by their former accompanist, Dana Maher. Although she holds two degrees in piano, composing never entered her mind until the birth of her first child. "When you're holding a baby, you can't be practicing Beethoven, so I was looking for an outlet." That outlet has now produced three published songs, including "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," the place in Ireland where the poet Yeats spent childhood summers. Maher couldn't get the poem out of her mind, so she set it to music.

When it was published, she wanted to honor Carver Music Teacher John Beavers and the students she left to become a mother. "I was ready to move on, but at the same time it was difficult, because I didn't want to leave the kids, so I felt it was something I could give back to them to thank them for the enjoyable time I had here." Carver's choral students are proud to have a song dedicated in their honor. Student Brittany Lewis: "It was very nice of her to dedicate it to our choir. We're the first choir in Tulsa Public Schools to have a song dedicated to us." Another student, Brettin White, "All the harmony parts together, it's just really beautiful and you can really picture the place that it's talking about."

Beavers is proud of his chorus, winners of a number of contests and honors. Both he and Maher say the students captured the spirit of her music, which she heard them perform for the first time today. It was an exciting moment. "It is. It's a great feeling. Yeah." It's also a great feeling to realize that wherever this song is performed from now on, musicians will read the words inscribed on every copy: "Dedicated to the Carver Middle School Vocal Music Program." Carver's Chorus will perform next Thursday night at 7 and Friday morning at 10.