September 26–27, 2025 @ Various Venues
The Appalachian Men’s Ensemblepresents two concerts Sept. 26 and 27 in Gray and Johnson City, Tennessee. The program features a variety of music on themes of “War and Peace,” from songs that celebrate the bravery of those who serve in the armed forces to others that give voice to humanity’s cries for peace. Friday’s concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Gray Church, Gray, Tenn. Saturday’s concert is also at 7:30 p.m. and will be given at the recently restored Chapel on the Mountain Home VA Campus, Johnson City, Tenn. Donations are accepted at the door, with suggested amounts of $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Highlights of the program include “God Protect Us From War” by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis and Samuel Barber’s stirring classic “A Stopwatch and an Ordnance Map” for men’s chorus and timpani. Percussionist Ray McClain features as the guest artist for these as well as other pieces on the program. Another feature is the debut of a smaller a cappella group singing Mitchell Snapp’s arrangement of “Travelin’ Soldier,” a song that has been performed by both The Chicks and Home Free. The concert closes with Craig Courtney’s beautiful setting of “Make Me an Instrument.”
“This promises to be a moving and solemn program, and we invite audience members to experience this timeless music with us,” said Artistic DirectorNoah DeLong. “As our world continues to face conflicts of many kinds, we are privileged to share this music as a way to honor those who have served and sacrificed in order to bring peace to others.”
The Appalachian Men’s Ensemble is an auditioned community choir that includes singers from across the Tri-Cities region who are committed to engaging audiences through musical precision, passionand commonality. With a dual sense of spirited fraternity and artistic excellence, AMEn aims to bring a variety of choral music to our community, and to educate, inspireand entertain audiences through its activities. The ensemble is conducted by Noah DeLong and Mitchell Snapp and accompanied on the piano by Steve Sensenig.
The Appalachian Men’s Ensemble is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Additional information and concert updates can be found at www.appmensensemble.org and on Facebook.
Category: Music