SHERMAN, TEXAS—The Austin College Music Department will present vocalists Suzanne Francis and Darden Adams in their Senior Recital at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, in Craig Hall’s Recital Hall on campus. The concert is free and open to the public.
Suzann Francis is the daughter of David and Sandy Francis of Fort Worth, Texas; Darden Adams is the son of Kelly and Wesley Adams of Ladonia, Texas.
During the recital, Francis, a soprano, will perform “In My Own Little Corner” by Rogers and Hammerstein from Cinderella; “Non so piu” from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro; “Mad Scene” from Rosy Bow’rs by Henry Purcell, “Chanson De L’Adieu” by Tosti, “Men” by Seymore Barab; “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Henry Krieger, and Tom Eyen from Dream Girls. Her final number, “Dangerous Game” by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse from Jekyll & Hyde, is a duet performed with Austin College Class of 2011 graduate Nick Timmerman.
Francis is completing a double major in international relations and history and a minor in leadership. She has been a member of the Austin College A Cappella Choir and Descant for four years. She said that one of her favorite things about Austin College is that she was able to be involved in things she loved, like music, though they were outside her major. She said she also developed other skills that will benefit her future, like leadership and teamwork, through involvement in music performance. Though she will not be in music as a profession, she said music has enriched her life, and she will continue to sing wherever she is. “Music is part of every culture,” she said, and it will provide a shared experience wherever she may travel. Next year, she will work as a Student Services Fellow in Thessaloniki, Greece, and will likely help with English musicals and choir club.
In his performance, Adams, a bass vocalist, will perform music by Handel, Claude Debussy, and Flanders and Swann, as well as “If Ever I Would Leave You” from the musical Camelot by Frederick Loew and Alan Jay Lerner,
Completing a major in English and a minor in music, Adams is a member of the A Cappella Choir and has been taking voice lessons for three years at Austin College. He said he has not decided on a career, but would like to be a writer and is currently working on a fantasy book. He expects music will always play a part in his life “as an enjoyable diversion from everything else.”
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.