April Newsletter
A Message From The Board
Hello! I am Janette McCall, President, of the Memphis ChoralArts Board of Directors. Welcome to the premier of our quarterly newsletter! You might not know this, but MCA provides administrative and logistical support to four chorales. The Memphis Children’s Chorale (Grades 3 to 8), Memphis Youth Chorale (Ages 13-21), Memphis Women’s Chorale (MWC), and Memphis Men’s Chorale. (MMC) Memphis ChoralArts is entirely member and patron funded. Member dues support salaries, music purchases, concert venue, and production fees. MCA does not want the membership dues to be a barrier to being a part of our ensembles. Your donations help provide scholarships for the youth and children’s chorales and reduced dues for the adult chorales.
Our hope with this newsletter is to keep our audience in tune with what is going on with MCA. Visit our website, www.memphischoralarts.org for more information. Also, go to our YouTube channel to hear some of our performances. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.
Hope to see you on May 2nd!
-Janette
From Artistic Director - Dr. Ryan Fisher
We are excited about our upcoming final concert of the season, “Sperare: To Hope”, which will be presented on May 2nd at Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church in Germantown at 7:00 p.m. This inspirational concert will feature all of our choral ensembles with a regional premiere of Jake Runestad’s “Into the Light” with chamber orchestra. Other selections feature composers like Adolphus Hailstork, Gwyneth Walker, Elaine Hagenberg, Dolly Parton, Andre Thomas, and Richard Smallwood.
Adrian Maclin and the Memphis Men’s Chorale hosted a phenomenal inaugural event, “Let All Men Sing” at Mt. Moriah East Baptist Church last month which featured other tenor/bass ensembles from the University of Memphis, Cordova High School, Douglass K-8, and The Male Chorus from Mt. Moriah East Baptist Church. We look forward to hosting a fully treble ensemble celebration next year in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Memphis Women’s Chorale. As we wrap up this season, I want to thank you for your continued support of this unique and essential choral organization. I hope to see you at our final concert of the season and look forward to your continued support.
MCA’s- Choral Scholars Program
Under the direction of Memphis Youth Chorale’s Director, Dr. Emily Frizzell, the Choral Scholars Program provides economically disadvantaged high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to develop their vocal skills and knowledge to successfully compete for music scholarships at the college level. This is accomplished through organized group sessions, individual vocal instruction, and participation in rehearsals and performances of the Memphis Youth Chorale. MCA’s artistic and instructional staff are all faculty members or graduates of the University of Memphis Rudi Scheidt School of Music and are uniquely qualified to guide Choral Scholars in their journeys as young musicians. MCA artistic and instructional staff know how to prepare these aspiring musicians for college and beyond.
As an example of the value of this program, Terrion Evans, who is a junior at East High School, has made incredible progress already after one year in the Choral Scholars Program. Since starting lessons with his CSP voice instructor Mr. Hughes, Terrion has improved in his solo singing and even earned a solo in the MYC Fall Concert. He is learning new styles of choral and vocal literature he had not experienced before CSP. He has also become far more confident in his sight-singing abilities. Although he had previous choral experiences, his growth through this program is notable. Furthermore, Terrion has become an incredible student leader of Memphis Youth Chorale. His positive attitude is infectious and his smile radiates throughout all rehearsals and workshops! Terrion is a shining example of how this program will change the lives and trajectory of these talented young musicians and show them a path forward for a lifetime of participation in music either as a career or as an avocation.