The Panther Singers and Jazz Combo took audience members on a musical journey Wednesday night in Vaughan Chapel that wound through the “Shenandoah”, to places up “On Broadway” on a “Sunday Afternoon” that made listeners want it to last for “A Thousand Years”.

The evening began with the Panther Singers taking the stage and performing  a half dozen tunes. They opened the set with “Thanksgiving Song” by Mary Chapin Carpenter before moving into “You Are the Reason” by Calum Scott, John Maguire, and Corey Sanders.

The group then took to the water and led concert-goers gently down the river with the American traditional folk tune “Shenandoah”.

Following, the singers ventured into a more contemporary vibe, wafting a version of Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell classic “All Good Gifts” before moving to Cat Stevens’ “Morning Has Broken”. The singers wrapped up the set with the Christina Perri and David Hodges song “A Thousand Years”.

While the group changed over for the Jazz Combo performance, Kierston Jones, senior, read to the audience one of her original pieces of poetry. The work was entitled “Our Boat Was Sinking”.

During the Jazz Combo’s set, the performers focused on the improvisatory aspect of the songs, extending solos, and riffing extemporaneously while the rhythm section of senior DJ Dungee, drums; junior Trent Proctor, bass, and junior Stewart Werner, guitar; tethered the groove. Music professor Jennifer Ayers-Barnard tickled the ivories for the combo, while soloists included, senior Madison Cline, clarinet; Werner, guitar; freshman Django Burgess, saxophone; and junior Ryon Johnson, trumpet.

The combo opened the set with a bouncy version of “On Broadway” by Barry Mann and Cynthia Wall in collaboration with the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Soloists for “On Broadway” included Cline, Johnson, and Werner.

Next up was “Sunday Afternoon” by Mike Stein, followed by the 1931 jazz standard “All of Me”, written by Gerard Marks and Seymour Simon. While the rendition included the previously mentioned featured soloists, freshman Django Burgess also jumped into the mix–split reed and all–and took a ride on the sax.

The song also featured Ashley Patrick, senior, channeling the likes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald for a scatting rendition of the tune.

While the jazz combo struck the set, Jones came to the stage for another original reading entitled “Ground Yourself”, and then Werner and Burgess came back under the lights with different instruments. Burgess picked up the stand-up bass, while Werner grabbed a mandolin.

The two launched into a holiday mash-up of  the timeless Burl Ives tune “A Holly Jolly Christmas” infused with Johnny Marks’ “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. Werner sang the lyrics to “Holly Jolly”, and then Burgess took the mic for “Rudolph”. Then two sang each song simultaneously for the mash-up. The duo also traded solos that kept the song’s melody in the fore.

The evening’s finale brought the Panther Singers back to the stage for the college’s alma mater and the group’s signature closing: “The Lord Bless and Keep You” by Peter C. Lutkin. At that time, Ayers-Barnard invited to the stage anyone who knew the song.

After the performances, Ayers-Barnard reflected on the evening.

“It went well–we’re all really, really tired,” she said. “A lot of these students had a performance last night. And they are panicking a little bit for finals next week. But we had a good rehearsal today–we had a pep talk, and I told them, ‘Just enjoy the moment.’ That’s what it’s all about.”

Ayars-Barnard said that the piece that gave her the most concern going in was “All Good Gifts”.

“It’s all these syncopations. All these ties and rests, and they did it. That’s probably the first time we’ve ever done it” she laughed. “In our rehearsals, we always had to stop and work on that section again.”

She said that in the end, however, it all came together, and she was happy to have an attentive audience.

“I just appreciate people coming again to come see us and supporting the arts. We work all semester on these songs. The entire semester. So at the end–if there’s no audience–” she paused. “So we are appreciative of the ones we have.”