Roe retires, final concert honors Bridges, Chason

TIFTON — The delightful melodies of the top voices at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will be on display for all to hear 7 p.m., April 12, when the ABAC choral program presents its annual spring concert in Howard Auditorium.

For Dr. Susan Roe, chair of the ABAC Fine Arts Department and the choral program director, the concert represents a bittersweet moment. She has announced her retirement from ABAC as June 30, college officials said in a statement.

Roe said she is proud of all the improvements in ABAC since she joined the faculty as an adjunct professor in 1999.

“I cannot put into words the beauty ABAC possesses and the future I see for it,” Roe said.

Roe said the second song of the evening will be dedicated to two ABAC legends, President David Bridges and Mike Chason, director of public relations emeritus. Bridges is retiring this year and Chason retired in 2011.

“We want to honor President Bridges and Mike Chason with Rene Clausen’s ‘Set Me as a Seal Upon Your Heart,’” Roe said. “I do not think anyone has done more for an institution out of love than Dr. David Bridges.

“The song also contains the words, ‘Great Day,’ which pay homage to Mike Chason’s legendary ‘great day to be alive’ greetings on campus.”

The concert will include the voices of the Concert Choir, Jazz Choir and the ABAC Singers. Roe said all soloists are voice majors in the ABAC associate of fine arts program as well as the drummer and saxophone instrumentalists. The concert is offered at no charge to the community as a gift from the music program.

The ABAC choir had been invited to sing with the Valdosta State University Choir in New York City this month but the trip was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

“These students are the brave singers who have sung during a pandemic and I am so honored to be their choral conductor,” Roe said.