The two articles below were published in 1998 in Dillard's newspaper, the Courtbouillon. The article on the left commemorates Artis Turner, who was the choir's tour bus driver for 23 years. The article on the right talks about the choir members' experiences on tour. To read more, click on the images to enlarge them.

Choir Mourns Bus Driver By Alanna Thomas The members of the Dillard University Con- cert Choir, and faculty members are deeply sad- dened by the loss of their long-time friend and bus driver, Artis Turner. Turner was a bus driver for the New Orleans Tour bus line. For 23 years, he served as the concert choir's bus driver. 'Mr. Artis (Turner) was not just a bus driver, he was a friend to some, and a father- figure to others,' stated Myla Michelle Patterson, a junior pre-medicine/biology major. According to Patterson, there was never a dull moment during long bus rides to various locations across the map. Turner kept his passengers enlightened with his jokes, as well as his historical knowledge of each state that they traveled through. Although choir members are sad and mourning the death of Turner there is one individual who definitely misses him the most. Choir director S. Carver Davenport had been a friend of Turner's for over 30 years. They worked together hand in hand to make sure choir trips and other road trips were without any complications. Often, Turner could be found walking through or sitting in Davenport's office in the Cook Center. At the end of every concert, Davenport gave special recognition to this bus driver who would be sitting at the back of the audience giving moral support. 'Things are certainly going to be different without Mr. Artis,'' stated Zane Gipson, a junior music and business management major. 'The choir must continue to be the best University Choir despite the loss of the best and saf- est bus driver one could have,' stated student choir conductor, Loneka Wilkinson. Second-year concert choir member Kimberly Henderson said, 'Mr. Artis would not want us to be sad or mourn his death, but he would want us to remember all of the good and happy times we have shared throughout the years.' Artis Turner will be remembered each time the choir sings it's final selection 'His Light Still Shines.' The light of his life will forever shine around us. The choir will never forget 'Big Daddy, King of the Road.' Student Advisement Week: Oct. 26-30

September 1998

Choir prepares for historic tour. Dillard Choir On The Road Again By Alanna Thomas and Kimberly Henderson Long bus rides, lots of singing, studying and eating on the run are anticipated by a group of Dillard’s finest. The members of the Dillard University Concert Choir are preparing themselves for their annual spring tour across the map. Mid-day and five-thirty rehearsals after dinner keep the choir’s intonation, phonation, accuracy and pitch in tip-top shape. The 45 voices will be traveling to 14 cities in a two week time span to sing at various churches. While touring, choir members sometimes stay with sponsors who belong to the churches where the choir performs; yet other times they stay in hotels. On some occasions the sponsors make special requests for students they have had in the past. “One good thing about tour is that you have nice sponsors who take you in and treat you like family. You also have some who will even let you wash your clothes in their homes,” said Melanie Finley, a senior from Houston, TX. The choir repertoire includes classical works from the masters, popular songs, folk songs and spirituals. The choir specializes in Afro-American songs and pure African tunes. “The Afro-American songs sung and interpreted by the Dillard group express an authenticity and a dignity that raises the songs to a level of simple but artistic beauty, according to director S. Carver Davenport. The choir will sing it’s first note in Beaumont, Texas on March 20 and its last note in Jacksonville, Fla. on April 5. The choir is under the masterful direction of the renowned S. Carver Davenport. He has been a professor at Dillard since 1975 and has been taking talented young adults on tour since 1977. While on the road, choir members learn about one another and bond. “One of the most exciting experiences of my life has been to travel with other musicians' says Loneka Wilkinson, a junior from Baton Rouge, LA. The students spend hours on top of hours at a time riding on the New Orleans Tour lines bus. The bus is navigated by the choir’s favorite bus driver, Artis Turner. “Mr. Artis, as he is called by the choir members, has been the tour bus driver just as long as there has been a Dillard Concert Choir, says Denetra Pate, a sophomore from New Orleans, LA. “He’s really a nice and sweet person who keeps the choir members laughing,” said Kelli Gipson, a sophomore from Gonzales, LA. Everyone --from the bus driver to the choir members-- are close knit, always looking at each other as family. “To me, the choir is made up of many sisters and brothers and Mr. Davenport is our guardian who keeps us in line,” says Myla Patterson, a sophomore from Chicago, IL. The choir members try to make the best of the long dull hours on the bus. They watch movies, crack jokes, snack on junk food and try to sleep. But of course there is always a time, especially between performance sights with long stretches, where the choir members must remain quiet, rest their voices and occupy themselves with tons of homework that will be due upon their arrival back to Fair Dillard. “There’s always a lot of studying time on the road from city to city and while staying with sponsors, ” according to Melanie Finley. “Mr. Davenport makes sure his students get their work because he knows that choir is not the students’ first priority, ” notes Lawrence Williams, a sophomore from Chicago, IL. One student gives a little information about what this tour is all about. “Tour is a rewarding experience where you meet people from all walks of life whom you would never expect to meet. During this time, the choir puts Dillard on the map in a big way. And the most unique thing is that the audience loves us. People are always surprised to find out that everyone in the choir is not a music major, said Tamara Murphy, a junior from Dallas, Texas. “The purpose of tour is not to go on a big vacation from school. It takes really hard work and lots of dedication to have a successful tour,” says Keisha D. Jones, a junior from Morgan City, La. “The actual purpose of the annual tour is to visit various cities and states in order to recruit high school students and interest them incoming to Dillard, ” according to Mr. Davenport. The date for departure is set for March 20, 1998. So come behind the Fine Arts Center and wish these song birds a safe and successful journey.

March 1998

×