[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 101 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI CONCERT SINGERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues the 
wonderful news that the University of Mississippi Concert Singers won 
top honors last week at the World Choral Competition in Rome, Italy.
  The group from Ole Miss, led by Dr. Jerry Jordan, is the first 
American choir ever to have qualified for this exclusive international 
competition and, of course, the first to win the top prize. Today, they 
are considered the best amateur choir on the face of the Earth.
  To reach the Super Bowl of choral competitions in Italy, groups from 
around the world first had to qualify for and then win 1 of 6 
international events. On their way to the finals, the Ole Miss singers 
won the grand prize in May of 1997 in a competition in Bulgaria. Then 
last week, the group outperformed choirs from Sweden, Hungary, Estonia 
and Taiwan, all of which had won international choral events in past 
years.
  The Ole Miss concert singers are no strangers to performing on the 
international stage. During Dr. Jordan's 18 years at Ole Miss, his 
choral groups have toured on nine occasions; they have participated in 
international competition three times; and, in 1994, earned their only 
other trip to the grand event.
  The Collegiate Choir Program at the University of Mississippi is 
recognized among the best in the Nation. Dr. Jerry Jordan is one of the 
country's most accomplished directors. He has conducted the American 
Symphony Orchestra at Lincoln Center in New York and is a regular 
conductor at Carnegie Hall.
  Dr. Jordan's leadership and the exceptional talents of these students 
produced an unprecedented result in Rome. The judges said the group 
performed an extremely difficult and diverse program and did so 
flawlessly. The 50-member group sang seven songs in five different 
languages over the span of its allotted 30-minute program.
  Mr. Speaker, there are at least five alumni from the University of 
Mississippi in the House of Representatives. And at this point, I am 
pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from 
Mississippi my colleague (Mr. Pickering).
  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi 
(Mr. Wicker) for yielding.
  I rise with him to recognize the Mississippi Concert Singers and 
their accomplishment. They come from the University of Mississippi, the 
same place where the new director of the National Endowment for 
Humanities, Dr. William Ferris, the author of the Encyclopedia of 
Southern Culture.
  In Mississippi, where we have the tradition of being the birthplace 
of blues, of rock and roll, and in my district, Meridian, the 
birthplace of country music with the grandfather of country music, 
Jimmy Rogers.
  And today we celebrate our additional contribution to our State's 
culture and our Nation's culture to the world, the Mississippi Choral 
Singers, and the great achievement that they have won by being the 
first American choir to win this preeminent distinction and competition 
in Rome.
  So I rise with the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) and to 
acknowledge and to appreciate this great accomplishment.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank my colleague for 
his remarks. And one final word, Mr. Speaker.
  This outstanding group of performers from the University of 
Mississippi has earned an honor reserved for a select few. They have 
earned the right to be called the best in the world, and they have made 
all Americans proud. I salute them today.

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