Rockhurst’s choral program, which encompasses 265 students, opened this year’s series of combined concerts (concerts with all four choirs) on Oct. 9, 2025 in the Rose Theater. In front of an overflow crowd, the Freshman Choir notched their first-ever performance. They were followed by the Advanced Choir, Chamber Singers, and Concert Choir.
The opening song featured all four choirs banding together for a rendition of “Rise Up, O Men of God.”
“I like having the opportunity for our guys to sing all four grades together,” Choral Director Kevin Coker, Ph.D., said. “I also think that the song that we picked, ‘Rise Up, O Men of God,’ is really fitting for an all-male, Catholic Jesuit high school. And to have Atticus Carlson, a senior, several-time all-district choir member [as a] tenor, to start us off, just seemed like a good fit and a great way to kick off… not just [our] concert, but the entire year.”
After the opening song, the freshmen got to work. Led by Coker and Assistant Choral Director Greta Sonnenberg, the group sang “Dover Beach,” “Howdidow, Deediddleumday,” and “She Walks in Beauty.”
“I think there was a lot of excitement… to get the year started off on the right foot,” Coker said.
The performance drew the appreciation of senior Concert Choir and Chamber Singer Atticus Carlson.
“I saw some good things from the freshmen… They definitely seemed a little more advanced than [in] previous years.”
The Advanced Choir, which is composed of sophomores, performed second. The largest Advanced Choir during Coker’s four-year tenure at Rockhurst sang “Be Thou My Vision,” “How Do I Love You,” and “What Makes the World Go Round.”
During their last song, “What Makes the World Go Round,” sophomore George Nessinger added some percussion to the song.
“…Thought it was fun that… George got to play the cajon,” Coker said. “[It] kind of [showed] some other skills in the group.”
Next, the Chamber Singers, a choir composed of the best voices at Rockhurst, sang “Love: Then, and Still” and “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight.”
“I think our first song, ‘Love, Then and Still,’ was really good,” Carlson said. “That was my favorite [song], by far.”
Finally, Rockhurst’s most experienced singers, the Concert Choir, ended the night with a display of talent and grace. The group sang “Brothers, Sing On!,” “O Sleeper, Awake!” and “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!”
“It’s a strong starting point for the year,” Coker said. “It was a lot of fun to be out there and… to see and… hear the audience kind of embrace their performances.”
Before the night ended, Coker acknowledged the 11 students in the Kansas City Metro All-District Choir, calling them up to the front of the stage.
“These were people that were selected by professionals in our field,” Coker said. “It is very, very competitive.”
After Concert Choir delivered the final piece, it was clear that Coker and his choral program had nailed yet another performance .
“Each [ensemble] had highlights within their set, and it was a lot of fun to be out there and… to share the stage with them,” Coker said. “They really sang well together as a team.”
Rockhurst’s next choir concert is their Christmas performance on Dec. 10 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
