Vermont and New Hampshire Chapters of ACDA

in collaboration with

The Choral Arts Foundation of the Upper Valley

welcome you to…

June 26-27, 2015

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

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2015 Gather at the River Conference Committee

Jeffrey Buettner, coordinator Johanna Evans, coordinator

Jeff Rehbach, treasurer Sherrill Blodget Josh Desrochers

Robert Duff Bethany Plissey Esther Rhoades

Conference Volunteers

Danielle Carrier Erin Grainger Krystal Morin Caleb Pillsbury

Conference Accompanists

Annemieke Spoelstra, Matthew C. Wiencke

and Marybeth Hallinan

Special Thanks to

Music Department of Dartmouth College

Vermont ACDA Board

New Hampshire ACDA Board

Jolley Associates

This conference is funded in part by an Alfred Nash Patterson Grant

from Choral Arts New England

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Table of Contents

Conference Schedule ............................................................................................................. 4-5

Friday Concert Program ....................................................................................................... 6-7

Saturday Concert Program ...................................................................................................... 8

Workshop Descriptions ...................................................................................................... 9-11

Ensemble and Conductor Biographies:

Dr. Joe Miller, Guest Conductor .............................................................................. 12

Heinrich Christensen, Organist ................................................................................ 13

Ensembles and Conductors .................................................................................. 13-16

Workshop Leaders ................................................................................................. 16-18

About ACDA .......................................................................................................................... 19

About CAFUV ........................................................................................................................ 19

Restaurants and Quick Bites ................................................................................................. 20

FAQ .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Maps:

Dartmouth College Music Department (HOP) ..................................................... 23

Dartmouth College Campus ...................................................................................... 24

Graduate Credit

Graduate Credit is offered through Castleton College, Castleton, VT. Sherrill Blodget, coordinator. For registration and information see: http://www.castleton.edu/gather-at-the-river $115 for 1 credit. Information and registration forms will also be available at the registration desk. Sherill Blodget will be available for a brief meeting following the Keynote Address.

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Conference Schedule

Friday, June 26, 2015

8:30 – 9:30 AM Check in and Registration ................................................... Top of the Hop

9:45 – 10:45 AM Keynote Address

Dr. Joe Miller ............................................. Loew Auditorium, BFVAC

11:00 – 11:50 AM Interest Sessions 1

• Vibrant Voice for Singers: Expand, Reclaim and Release Your Whole-Hearted Voice with Peggo Hodes .................................................... Hartman

• Keeping the Fire Burning: How to Avoid Career Fatigue in Choral Music with Dr. Richard Nickerson .............................................. Upper Buck

• Reading Session: Sacred Repertoire with Lori Routhier ................................................................... Faulkner

12:00 – 1:30 PM Chamber Choir Rehearsals

All conference attendees are encouraged to join a chamber choir to perform on Saturday. See page 8 for repertoire.

• Sherrill Blodget .................................................................................... Hartman • Peggo Hodes ................................................................................... Lower Buck • Kristopher Johnson ............................................................................ Faulkner

1:30 – 3:00 PM Lunch on Your Own

3:10 – 4:00 PM Interest Sessions 2

• Choral Singer and Audience Engagement through Theatrical Practices with Bethany Plissey ........................................................... Hartman

• Will You Write Me a Song? Commissioning for Choirs with Chris Clark .................................................................. Lower Buck

• Reading Session: Secular Repertoire with Diane Cushing ............ Faulkner

4:10 – 5:40 PM Conference Choir Rehearsal with Dr. Joe Miller ........... Faulkner We encourage all conference attendees to participate in the conference choir, singing the Duruf l é Requiem.

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Conference Schedule, continued.

6:00 – 7:30 PM Dinner on your own

7:30 PM Conference Opening Concert ......... Church of Christ (40 College St.)

• Vermont Choral Union (VT) • Solaris Vocal Ensemble (VT) • Concord Chorale (NH)

Saturday, June 27, 2015

8:30 – 9:30 AM Free Breakfast ....................................................................... 53 Commons

9:45 – 10:35 AM Interest Sessions 3

• Forum: Considering the Aging Voice with Jessica Allen ..................................................................... Faulkner

• Nā Mele o Polenekia: The Music of Polynesia with Jace Saplan ....................................................................... Hartman

• C3: Choirs, Connections & Communities with Dr. Ellen Gilson Voth .............................................. Lower Buck

10:50 – 12:20 AM Conference Choir Rehearsal – Joe Miller ........................ Faulkner

12:20 – 1:50 PM Lunch on your own

2:00 – 3:30 PM Chamber Choir Rehearsals  

• Kristopher Johnson ............................................ Faulkner (Rollins 2:00-2:30) • Peggo Hodes ........................................................ Hartman (Rollins 2:30-3:00) • Sherrill Blodget ................................................ Lower Buck (Rollins 3:00-3:30)

3:30 – 4:00 PM Break

4:00 – 5:30 PM Conference Choir Rehearsal & Prep ...................... Rollins Chapel

5:30 – 7:00 PM Conference Concert ..................................................... Rollins Chapel

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Friday Concert – Church of Christ at Dartmouth College – 7:30 pm

The Vermont Choral Union Jeff Rehbach, Music Director

By the Water

Елицы во Христа [Yelitsi vo Hrista] [Znamenny chant] ................................... A. Kastalsky (1856-1926) As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.

Sicut cervus desiderat [Psalm 42] ............................................................. G.P. da Palestrina (1525?-1594) As longs the deer for flowing waters, so longs my soul for you, O God.

S. Rossi (1570?-ca.1630) ..................................................... [Psalm 137] [Al naharot Bavel] ַעל ַנֲהרֹות ָּבֶבל By the waters of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Zion. On the poplars, we hung up our lyres...

O Waly, Waly [traditional, Somerset England] ............................................................ arr. John Rutter (b.1945)

Hana wa Saku [Flowers will bloom] [Iwai Shunji, memorial for 3/11 tsunami] ........... Yoko Kanno (b.1964) My heart goes out to you when the morning sun lights up the sky...

Flowers will bloom for you who are here or yet to be born and until you’ll remember and love us forever more.

Mogami Gawa Funa Uta [traditional Japanese river boat verses] ......................... arr. O. Shimizu (1911-1986) I’m going to Sakata, take care! Don’t catch a cold! It’s hard to bid farewell!

The tail wind is pushing the boat from the shore—don’t resent me, resent the wind!

There Will Come Soft Rains [Sara Teasdale] ............................................................. Ivo Antognini (b.1963)

Unclouded Day [Josiah K. Alwood] .................................................................. arr. Shawn Kirchner (b.1970) _______________________________________________________

Solaris Vocal Ensemble Dr. Dawn O. Willis, Artistic Director

Frank Whitcomb, Assistant Conductor Dr. Susan Summerfield, Accompanist

Vivat Musica .................................................................................................................... Jiří Laburda (b.1931) Without music there is no life, therefore,

Let everyone sing with joy and with love. Let music live.

Slender Young Birch from Songs of Nature .................................................... Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) Sure on This Shining Night from Nocturnes .................................................... Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943) Northern Lights .............................................................................................................. Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978)

Thou art beautiful, O my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army set in array. Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have made me flee away.

O My Luve’s Like a Red, Red Rose ........................................................................ René Clausen (b.1953) Christina Kelsh, flute

Steve Olson, cello Now Welcome Summer .............................................................................. Robert Washburn (1928-2013) Brauner Bursche Führt zum Tanze from Zigeunerlieder ........................... Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

A strong and handsome lad is hastening with his sweetheart to the dance. Clanking spurs begin the Czardas, love grows quicker with each glance.

See, he holds her closely, twirling, swirling, now they spring Then he tosses silver guilders making all the cymbals ring.

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Friday Concert – Church of Christ of Dartmouth College – 7:30 pm, continued

Concord Chorale Kristofer Johnson, music director Molly Lozeau, collaborative pianist

Die Harmonie in der Ehe ...................................................................... Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Oh, wonderful harmony! What he desires, she does as well! He enjoys carousing, so does she!

And playing, and money, and acting like a big shot; she does too! Oh, wonderful harmony!

from Ziguenerlieder, Op. 103 [Conrat] ........................................................... Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) I. He, Ziguener, griefe in die Saiten ein X. Mond verhüllt sein Angesicht XI. Rote Abendwolken ziehn

I. Hey, Gypsy, strike upon your strings! Play the song of the faithless young girl! Let the strings weep and lament until hot tears flow down this cheek!

X. The moon hides its face. Sweet love, I am not angry with you… My heart burns for you, but my tongue doesn’t admit it to you…

XI. Red evening clouds move over the firmament, my heart burns with longing for you, my darling. The sky is radiant in glowing splendor and I dream day and night only of my beloved.

I will be Earth [Swenson] ...................................................................................... Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947)

Let Evening Come [Kenyon] .................................................................................... Brian Holmes (b. 1946)

The Gift [Lockwood] ......................................................................................... Janika Vandervelde (b. 1955)

Let the River Run ............................................................................ Carly Simon/arr. Craig Hella Johnson

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Saturday Concert – Rollins Chapel, Dartmouth College – 5:30 pm

Chamber Choir

Kristofer Johnson, conductor Matthew C. Wiencke, accompanist

der Abend, Op. 64, no. 2 ................................................................................................... Johannes Brahms Cruda Amarilli from Fifth Book of Madrigals .................................................................. Claudio Monteverdi Sure on this Shining Night from Nocturnes ....................................................................... Morten Lauridsen

Chamber Choir Peggo Horstmann Hodes, conductor

Marybeth Hallinan, accompanist Namaste ....................................................................................................................................... Steve Schuch Love Is Little ........................................................................................................................... Kevin Seigfried A Song Will Dawn on Me ..................................................... Kathy Lowe, arr. Peggo Horstmann Hodes Sea Glass ................................................................................................................. Peggo Horstmann Hodes

Chamber Choir

Sherrill Blodget, conductor Annemieke Spoelstra, accompanist

Los Cuatro Palomas ................................................................................................................ Ignacio Piniero

Juliette Iffland and Erin Grainger, sopranos Laudamus Te from Misa Cubana ................................................................................................. José Vitier

Juliette Iffland, soprano Son de la Loma ................................................................................................................ arr. Jonathan Quick

Conference Choir

Dr. Joe Miller, guest conductor Heinrich Christensen, organist

Requiem, op. 9 for Chorus and Organ ............................................................................. Maurice Duruflé

I. Introit II. Kyrie III. Domine Jesu Christe IV. Sanctus V. Pie Jesu

Erin Granger, Soloist VI. Agnus Dei VII. Lux aeterna VIII. Libera me IX. In Paradisum

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Workshop Descriptions

Session I: Friday 11:00AM – 11:50 AM

Vibrant Voice for Singers: Expand, Reclaim and Release Your Whole-Hearted Voice Peggo Horstmann Hodes

A Vibrant Voice is a voice alive with soul. It animates and vibrates our bodies from the inside out. It informs and energizes our very being. It reminds us who we are and why we are here. A vibrant voice leads us home. Building on a foundation of supportive breath and vocal technique, this workshop expands out concepts and experiences of “good” singing to include the whole continuum of our voice. Singers join a chorus or start voice lessons because they love to sing. As they learn technique and repertoire, they also learn how to narrow their voice to sing in “acceptable,” externally defined ways. The voice of their playful self, the one who sang for fun, not perfection, can get lost in the legitimate quest for technique.

In this workshop, we will breathe, sing, harmonize, improvise, visualize, chant and tone, reclaiming the full range of our voice – from solo to choral, playful to beautiful, uncontrolled to radiant. Connecting voice and breath with heart and spirit opens deeper layers of our voice, revealing who we really are, and how to sing and express that in our lives. Whether singing in the car or in a recital, an open, heart-centered voice is a mesmerizing sound. A chorus of such connected voices is a total joy.

This participatory workshop is primarily focused on the needs of singers. But a chorus is a community of singers. For conductors, it will include tips on how to use these techniques with your chorus. All are welcome.

Keeping the Fire Burning: How to Avoid Career Fatigue in Choral Music Richard Nickerson, DMA

Directing a choir can be exhausting! As professionals, we are constantly working towards perfection, knowing that perfection can’t be obtained. Add this to the many other demands of our lives and, over time, you will start to experience the signs of career fatigue. EVERYONE will experience these conditions in some way during their teaching career. You can, however, regain your balance and feel the passion and excitement again.

This session will focus on ways to identify the signs of career fatigue as it relates to the choir director. Topics of discussion will include rehearsal strategies, repertoire choices, long-range planning, positive motivation and balance of the professional and personal life.

Reading Session: Sacred Repertoire Lori Routhier

Read through SATB sacred repertoire intended for use in worship services. Repertoire packets are provided by J.W. Pepper and Co. (You may keep the repertoire packet – the only repertoire you keep at this conference!)

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Session II: Friday 3:10pm-4:00pm

Building Audience, Ensemble and Singer Connection Through Theatrical Tactics Bethany Pl issey

A workshop focusing on the use of staging, lighting, media, and movement/dance in connection with choral music. We’ll consider reasoning and advantages of including these in connection with choral rehearsal and performance. We’ll also look at a few available resources and sample presentations. Time allowing, we’ll turn to selected scores to generate ideas in a collaborative and interactive format. Will You Write Me a Song? Commissioning Music for Choirs Chris Clark

Commissioning new choral music is a rewarding way for singers and composers to interact with each other and contribute a new facet to an ensemble's musical fabric. Both singers and conductors experience high satisfaction when premiering a piece of music that was written specifically for their ensembles. Additionally, it is a practice of “ensemble responsibility”: the obligation of a choral musical entity to further all facets of choral music in society. Ensemble leaders often find the act of commissioning daunting, as it requires contacting and negotiating with a composer, raising funds, teaching the unfamiliar music to singers, and premiering a never-before-heard work of art. This session will start at the beginning of the commissioning process and trace the possibilities from the initial commissioning inquiry to the premier performance. Topics such as selling the idea of a commission to a board of directors or administration, finding a suitable composer and fund raising will be explored in detail. Whether you find the idea of commissioning a piece intriguing, or are looking for tips to streamline your process, this session will help. The seemingly daunting task of commissioning is, in reality, simple if you know a few tricks.

Reading Session: Secular Repertoire Diane Cushing

Read through SATB repertoire of different decades and traditions, with repertoire packets provided by J.W. Pepper and Co. (You may keep the packet – the only repertoire you keep at this conference!)

Session III: Saturday 9:45 – 10:35 am

Forum: Considering the Aging Voice Jess i ca Allen

Singers often struggle to maintain the consistency and quality of their voices beyond a certain age. How can the aging choral singer cope with potential frustrations that they encounter with their voice after it has supported them for decades? This forum invites discussion that all singers will find useful, with special consideration for what is commonly referred to as the “aging voice.” What is happening with our voices, and what we can do to prolong our singing in as healthy a manner as possible?

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Na Mele o Polenekia: The Music of Polynesia Jace Saplan

This session will expose the attendee to the rich heritage of the Polynesian choral arts. Together we will uncover the canon of Polynesian communal singing from the islands of Hawai’i, New Zealand and Samoa from pre-western contact up to the present day. This hands-on session will provide insight and methods on indigenous pedagogies and oral traditions with repertoire suitable for the building of musical skills in the western choral classroom. We will also uncover performance practices on singing and dancing connections. Diction, poetry and the use of instrumentation will be explored through traditional folksongs to contemporary compositions by emerging Polynesian composers. Participants will leave with information that will empower and guide the choral conductor to multicultural repertoire that is often overlooked or is unfamiliar.

C3: Choirs, Connections & Communities Ellen Gilson Voth

Choral directors are, by definition, engineers of community. And choirs are uniquely poised to foster community at a time when the effects of declining community in society are becoming more apparent. Yet, even with the best intentions of directors and singers, choirs can be in danger of isolating and insulating themselves from the communities in which they reside. How can we build “social capital” (quoting political scientist/professor/author Robert Putnam in Bowling(Alone) and maximize our choir's broader community value? Voth describes several recent and current initiatives/collaborations that have been enthusiastically received by the ensembles she conducts (one large amateur chorus, one professional chamber choir) and the communities they represent. She also describes which of her artistic goals have been most enhanced by these initiatives. Time for brainstorming and discussing ideas with colleagues will be included.

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Biographies

Joe Miller, Keynote speaker and Conference Choir Conductor

Joe Miller is conductor of two of America’s most renowned choral ensembles: the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Symphonic Choir. He is also director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College of Rider University.

In addition to his responsibilities at Westminster Choir College, Dr. Miller is artistic director for choral activities for the renowned Spoleto Festival USA. His 2014 debut performance, a staged production of John Adams’ El Niño with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, the Westminster Choir and an international cast, earned critical acclaim. The Financial Times praised, “the driving minimalistic iterations of Adams’ score securely projected under Joe Miller’s direction.” The New York Times described the performance as “superb. Meticulously prepared…the chorus was remarkable for its precision, unanimity and power.”

His 2014-2015 season with the Westminster Choir includes a concert tour of California, several national radio broadcasts, and their annual residency at the Spoleto Festival USA. Dr. Miller has made three recordings with the Westminster Choir. Their latest CD, The Heart’s Reflection: Music of Daniel Elder, has been hailed by Minnesota Public Radio’s Classical Notes as “simply astounding.” His debut recording with the Westminster Choir, Flower of Beauty, received four stars from Choir & Organ magazine and earned critical praise from American Record Guide, which described the Westminster Choir as “the gold standard for academic choirs in America.”

As conductor of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Dr. Miller has collaborated with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors. The New York Times wrote about Symphonic Choir’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Cleveland Orchestra, “Joe Miller's Westminster Symphonic Choir was subtle when asked and powerful when turned loose.” Recent seasons have included performances with the Philharmoniker Berliner and Sir Simon Rattle; The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin; and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and Gustavo Dudamel.

Dr. Miller is also founder and conductor of the Westminster Summer Choral Festival Chamber Choir, a program that offers professional-level choral and vocal artists the opportunity to explore challenging works for one week each summer on the Westminster campus in Princeton.

Reflecting on the role that choral music plays in the nation's cultural life, he said at a Chorus America conference, “Choral music in the United States has seen unprecedented growth in the past several decades. The influence of our past leaders is part of our fabric, but we must seize this time to create a new vision based on the foundation that has been laid before us. We must keep the traditions but be willing to change in order to build a vision for the future.”

Dr. Miller earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in choral conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and voice from the University of Tennessee.

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Heinrich Christensen, Organist A native of Denmark, Heinrich Christensen received the Church Music and Soloist Diplomas from the Århus Conservatory of Music with further studies in France at the Conservatoire de Saint-Maur with Olivier Latry. After a stint as a music director in Malmö, Sweden, he came to the US in 1998 and received an Artist Diploma in Organ Performance from the Boston Conservatory where his teacher was James David Christie. He was appointed Music Director of historic King's Chapel, Boston, in the year 2000 after serving as the affiliate organist under Daniel Pinkham for the last two years of Dr. Pinkham’s 42-year tenure at the church. At King's Chapel, he manages the Tuesday Noon Hour Recitals as well as the King's Chapel Concert Series, and directs the fully professional choir. Heinrich was a prizewinner at the international organ competitions in Odense and Erfurt and has given solo recitals on four continents. An avid proponent of contemporary music, he has premiered works by Daniel Pinkham, Carson Cooman, Graham Gordon Ramsay, James Woodman and several others. He has worked extensively as an accompanist for many choral groups in the Boston area, and has recorded with Philovox, Boston Secession and Seraphim Singers, and Daniel Pinkham’s works for solo voice and organ with Florestan Recital Project,. The solo CD Heinrich Christensen plays the C.B. Fisk Organ at King's Chapel (available at www.arsisaudio.com) was hailed by Gramophone Magazine as a "smorgasbord" of "enormous stylistic flexibility". For the past 15 years, he has performed an annual recital as a featured soloist of Boston’s venerable First Night celebrations. In February 2011, he released a recording of Bach’s Clavierübung III. In October 2011, Albany Records released The Sacred Voice with works of Graham Gordon Ramsay.

Ensembles & Conductors

Sherrill Blodget

Sherrill Blodget is Director of Choral Activities, Music Department Chair and head of Applied Vocal Studies at Castleton College in Castleton, Vermont, where she directs the Collegiate Chorale and Castleton Chamber Singers, teaches Voice, Conducting, Music Appreciation, and Global Music, and is vocal director for musical theater productions. She is active as an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor, and is Membership Chair and Past-President of Vermont ACDA and the Vermont representative on the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO). Prior to joining the Castleton music department in 2008, Blodget directed high school choral and vocal programs, and university, community, and church choirs in Arizona, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. She has worked with a wide spectrum of ensembles from the University of Arizona Collegium musicum, focusing on renaissance and baroque works, to women’s, men’s, and mixed ensembles performing choral and choral-orchestral repertoire from the renaissance to the twentieth century. Her research interests include music from the Mexican Baroque, contemporary Latin American choral music, and choral voice placement. Blodget earned her D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona, M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Oregon, M.M. in Music Education from the Pennsylvania State University, and B.A. in Music from Yale University.

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The Concord Chorale The Concord Chorale is an auditioned vocal ensemble, dedicated to excellence in the performance of choral music for the cultural enrichment and enjoyment of its audience and members. Repertoire ranges from Renaissance to contemporary music, and concerts provide performance opportunities for professional and amateur vocalists throughout New Hampshire. Founded in 1969, the Chorale regularly performs a wide variety of programs in Concord. Last summer, the Chorale was the choir in residence for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. In addition, the group has toured internationally in Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the former Yugoslavia.

Kristofer Johnson, Music Director – Concord Chorale Now in his sixth season as conductor of the Concord Chorale, Kris has established a reputation in New England for bold programming and expressive, colorful performances. Kris is the Director of Choirs and an Instructor in Music at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH. Choirs under his baton have toured in the US, Great Britain, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Kris holds the Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. A career educator, Kris has taught on the faculties of the Blair School of Music (Vanderbilt University), Plymouth State University, Oberlin Conservatory’s Vocal Academy for High School Students, Proctor Academy, and Canterbury School.

Peggo Horstmann Hodes Peggo Horstmann Hodes is widely hailed as a “versatile, vivacious and warm-hearted singer” who “dazzles and engages” her audience. Singing from her versatile repertoire, from contemporary classical to jazz to love songs, Peggo is a “magnificent, moving” performer. With masters’ degrees in Vocal Pedagogy from New England Conservatory and Elementary Education from Lesley College, Peggo was the Voice Department Chairperson of Concord (NH) Community Music School for fifteen years and the past Governor of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Teaching and conducting for nearly thirty years, Peggo has taught hundreds of people how to sing. Currently, Peggo is the conductor of Songweavers , a 150+ women’s a cappella chorus that performs music from many ethnic traditions, accompanied by rollicking African style drums.

Solaris Vocal Ensemble The Solaris Vocal Ensemble is dedicated to the belief that choral music – the powerful combination of music and language – can energize and inspire the human spirit. Our mission is to bring light and meaning to great choral works that span the ages, through compelling performances imbued with passion and musical artistry. Based in Burlington, Vermont, this ensemble of 24 auditioned singers founded in 2013 by Dawn Willis performs a wide variety of choral literature ranging from evocative and introspective a cappella selections from the Renaissance to dramatic 21st century works involving a variety of instrumental forces. Earlier this spring Solaris presented a Farmers’ Night Concert at the Vermont Statehouse and performed at the Cathedral of the Holy City in Quebec City. www.SolarisEnsemble.org

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Dr. Susan Summerfield, Accompanist – Solaris Vocal Ensemble Susan Summerfield has a long career of performing and teaching music. She received degrees in music from Douglass College (Rutgers), Mills College and Stanford University, specializing in historical performance practice on keyboard instruments. She also studied organ with William Hays (Westminster Choir College) and, in Paris, with Pierre Cogen and Michel Chapuis. Before moving to the Burlington area, Susan was the Luther B. Marchant Professor of Music at Mills College where she taught for 18 years. Now at Saint Michael’s College, she teaches music history, theory and performance. She also serves as the Saint Michael’s College Organist. Susan has accompanied choirs for many years, including nine years as organist at the First Baptist Church, Burlington. Frank Whitcomb, Assistant Conductor – Solaris Vocal Ensemble Frank Whitcomb has recently retired as the Choral Director at Burlington High School where he conducted the Senior Chorus, Concert Choir and the select Madrigal Chorus in addition to teaching piano classes and AP Music Theory. He holds a Master of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting degree from the University of Maine, Orono where he studied with Dr. Dennis Cox and directed the University Chorus and a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Vermont. Frank has served as President of the Vermont Chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association and the New England Music Festival Association, and is presently the Treasurer for Vermont ACDA. He is accompanist for the Colchester Community Chorus and the Bella Voce Women’s Chorus. Dr. Dawn O. Willis, Artistic Director – Solaris Vocal Ensemble Solaris’ Artistic Director, Dawn Willis, is also the Artistic Director of Bella Voce Women’s Chorus which she founded in 2004. Under her leadership Bella Voce has performed throughout the region, recorded five CDs and toured Ireland, Austria, Italy, Germany and Prague. She has also served as the Chorus Director for the Green Mountain Opera Festival and as the Assistant Conductor of the VSO Chorus. Dawn holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from Arizona State University and Masters Degrees in Sacred Music and Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University. She has served as the Director of Choral Activities of colleges in Iowa and Texas. In addition to conducting the University of Vermont Catamount singers, she was also the Director of the Arizona State University Women’s Chorus and Visiting Conductor with the Iowa State University choral music program. A sought after clinician, she has conducted numerous festivals and workshops throughout Vermont, Massachusetts, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Iowa, and South Dakota. She has served as the choral director for churches in several denominations, including her current position at First Baptist Church in Burlington, and has composed and arranged sacred and secular choral music. Vermont Choral Union Originally called the University of Vermont Choral Union, the ensemble was founded in 1967 by James G. Chapman, Professor of Music at the University of Vermont. Dr. Chapman directed the Choral Union until his retirement in 2004. Gary Moreau then led the ensemble through 2010, and in spring 2011Carol Reichard served as guest conductor. The Vermont Choral Union welcomed Jeff Rehbach as its new music director in fall 2011. Now numbering 35 singers, the ensemble performs a cappella works in nearly a dozen languages from medieval times to the present, including recent premieres by Vermont composers Michael Close and Dennis Báthory-Kitsz. The Choral Union presents December holiday concerts in downtown Burlington, hosted by Cathedral Arts, and in St. Albans. The ensemble travels to offer its spring programs in various locales across Vermont and at Saint Michael's College each year. The Choral Union has participated in the sixth annual Vermont Sings for Peace concert, and in collaborative concerts with the Bellows Free Academy Chorus II directed by Armand Messier, the Essex Children's Choir directed by Constance Price, and the

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Middlebury Community Chorus. The ensemble has received grants from Choral Arts New England, Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jeff Rehbach, Music Director – The Vermont Choral Union In addition to his work with the Vermont Choral Union, Jeff Rehbach conducts the Middlebury College Community Chorus, a 90-voice ensemble. He assists with music and plays the organ for Memorial Baptist Church services in Middlebury. He served as conductor of the Middlebury College Chamber Singers from 2000 to 2007. An active choral singer, conductor, and worship musician, Jeff has coached and performed with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Early Music Vermont, and the Middlebury Community Players. He serves on the board of the Vermont chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. Jeff conducts the annual open reading of Handel's Messiah in Middlebury, a popular community tradition since 1984.

Interest & Reading Session Biographies

Jessica Allen Jessica Allen performs regularly in musical theater productions, recitals and as a guest soloist throughout New England. She performed the roles of Gingy, Queen Lillian and Peter Pan in Shrek The Musical with The Company at Town Hall Theater in November 2013, Grace Farrell in Annie with the Middlebury Community Players in March and April 2012 and was Maria in The Sound of Music with MCP in April 2010. She has also performed with the Lyric Theatre Company, Hinesburg Artist Series, Marble Valley Players and the Opera Company of Middlebury. She performed Lieder with the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria in July and August 2009 where she worked with world-renowned soprano Barbara Bonney. Ms. Allen teaches private voice and Music Together in Middlebury, VT, is Director of Music at the Congregational Church of Middlebury and Co-founder and Administrator of the Middlebury Bach Festival. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Voice from John Brown University and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University.

Chris Clark Christopher Clark holds an undergraduate music degree from Cleveland State University and a double Masters in Music Education and Choral Conducting from Bowling Green State University. He has taught for a number of years in the Ohio public school system, where his students earned superior ratings at state adjudicated festivals, toured regionally, and shared the stage with the University of Toledo choirs. Currently Mr. Clark resides in Massachusetts where he has become the Director of Music for the Southern Berkshire Regional School District, where he teaches choir in grades 3-12. During his tenure, SBRSD was designated a “Best Community for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation. His Madrigal group won first prize in the inaugural Lenox Caroling Festival, beating out collegiate and semi-professional ensembles to claim the title. In 2013 Mr. Clark was designated a Yale Distinguished Music Educator. Mr. Clark is the director of the Sheffield Messiah Choir, the Albany Gay Men's Chorus, and associate director of the Cantilena Chamber Choir.

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Diane Cushing Diane Cushing, Director of the Concert Choir at Keene State, also teaches Private Voice and Voice Class at Keene. She is also the conductor of the Keene Pops Choir after conducting the Nashua Symphony Chorus for six years. Diane is the Founder and Director of the Greater Gardner Community Choir who have performed with Rockapella, Cantus, The Nathaniel Dett Choir and The Harlem Gospel Choir. She is the R & S chair for Community Choir for NHACDA. She was the Conductor for the Women’s Chorus at New Hampshire All-State.

As a soloist, Diane has performed with The Monadnock Chorus, Thayer Symphony Orchestra, Cape Cod Symphony, The Bach Society, The Hamilton Baroque Ensemble, The Nashua Symphony Orchestra, and The Masterworks Chorale of Boston. She was also a member of Boston Baroque for three years. She has performed American music at Queen’s College, New York, and at Newberry College in South Carolina. Some of her favorite recent collaborations have been with pianist Virginia Eskin, featuring songs by Amy Beach and ‘A Musical Soliloquy’ by composer Ted Mann. Diane received her musical education at Anna Maria College, and received a Graduate Assistantship in Choral Conducting at Syracuse University and later completed a Master’s in Vocal Performance at Boston Conservatory. Diane is also a certified Group Centergy and Group Power teacher at Mount Wachusett Community College’s Fitness & Wellness Center.

Peggo Horstmann Hodes see under Ensembles/Conductors

Richard Nickerson Richard Nickerson has been Director of Choral Activities at Windham (ME) High School for the past 26 years. Additionally, Dr. Nickerson is Minister of Music at North Windham Union Church and the conductor of the “Magic of Christmas” Chorus with the Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra. In constant demand as a guest conductor and clinician, he has made guest appearances in eighteen states, four Canadian provinces and eight European countries. He has conducted in major concert venues throughout the world, making his Carnegie Hall debut in 1998.

Dr. Nickerson has received numerous awards including Maine Music Educator of the Year, Maine Distinguished Choral Director of the Year and runner-up for Maine Teacher of the Year. In January 2009 he was recognized by Choral Director Magazine as a “Choral Director of Note.” In April 2013 he was named as a quarter-finalist for the first ever Music Educator Grammy Award. Nickerson received a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Music Education and the Master of Music in Choral Conducting degrees from the University of Maine and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the Conservatory of Music – University of Missouri – Kansas City.

Bethany L. Plissey Bethany L. Plissey is Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Johnson State College, where she conducts the Johnson State Chorale and the Chamber Singers, teaches courses in conducting, music history, choral literature, choral methods, vocal pedagogy, and voice. Ms. Plissey joined the faculty of JSC in August of 2010. She is currently the Collegiate Repertoire and Standards Chair of the Vermont Board of the American Choral Directors Association. She has participated in the Sarteano Chamber Choir Conducting Workshop with Simon Carrington, as well as masterclasses with Robert Porco, Tonu Kaljuste, Vance George, and Paul Salamunovich. Ms. Plissey has served as a choral clinician and festival organizer in Florida, Georgia, Vermont and Wisconsin. She completed her doctoral coursework in choral conducting at the University of Miami with Dr. Jo Michael Scheibe and is currently finishing her doctoral essay focusing on the practices of choral conductors in Scandinavia and the Baltic Nations. She earned an MM in choral conducting and BM in vocal performance from Indiana University.

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Lori Routhier Lori Routhier is a choral educator and church musician. She holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education and Masters degree in Educational and Pastoral Ministry. Lori has taught choral and general music in grades pre-K through twelve at several schools in central Vermont. She has a studio in Rutland, Vermont, from which several of her students were selected to participate in the Regional and National ACDA Honor Choirs. Among her contributions to the profession over the past forty years, she has served as chair of the Green Mountain Music District, Chorus Manager for the New England Music Festival Association, Dean of Students and Chorus Manager for the Vermont All State Music Festival. Lori is often called upon to adjudicate for the All State Music Festival and has enjoyed the privilege of guest conducting at two district festivals in Vermont. She is a Past President of both VT ACDA and MEA and now serves as the R&S Chair for Music and Worship on the VT ACDA Executive Board.

Presently, Lori is Music Director and Liturgy Coordinator at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Rutland, VT, a position she has held for thirty-two years. She has presented workshops on Music and Worship in churches of various denominations in New England and Florida. She is a charter member of the National Pastoral Musicians Association. Among her responsibilities, Lori as served on the Diocesan Liturgy Commission, Music Director at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington for a period of eight years and Cantor for Diocesan gatherings.

Jace Saplan Born and raised in Hawai’i, Jace Saplan was the founder and artistic director of Colla Voce Hawai’i, a vocal ensemble dedicated to the preservation and propagation of Hawaiian choral music. His advocacy and research has given him opportunities to present at ACDA and NAfME conferences in Michigan, Florida and Hawai’i. While pursuing his masters in choral conducting at the University of Oregon studying under Dr. Sharon Paul, he concurrently served as a lecturer in Hawaiian music, a co-conductor for the Repertoire Singers, as well as the assistant conductor for the University Singers where he prepared the chorus for performances with Danail Rachev of the Eugene Symphony and Maestro Matthew Halls of the Oregon Bach Festival. He is currently a doctoral student in choral conducting at the University of Miami Frost School of Music studying under Dr. Karen Kennedy where he is a co-conductor for the University of Miami Maelstrom Men’s Chorale and the chorus master for the Frost Opera Program.

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About ACDA

Founded in 1959, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) is a nonprofit music-education organization whose central purpose is to promote excellence in choral music through performance, composition, publication, research, and teaching. In addition, ACDA strives through arts advocacy to elevate choral music's position in American society.

ACDA membership consists of choral directors who represent more than one million singers across the United States. ACDA members teach choral music in public and private schools - kindergarten through senior high school - and at the college and university levels. They conduct a variety of choral groups, including boychoirs, children's choirs, men's and women's choruses, junior and senior high school choirs, college and university choruses, ethnic choirs, vocal-jazz ensembles, and symphony choruses. They also conduct choirs in their communities and in their places of worship. Membership is established by submitting a membership application and annual dues.

For more information, please visit http://acda.org/

About the Choral Arts Foundation

The Choral Arts Foundation of the Upper Valley is a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation committed to supporting the choral arts in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Founded in 1992 as Handel Society Foundation of New Hampshire, the Foundation now pursues the broader mission of supporting all choral music in the Upper Valley. In addition to supporting the Handel Society, the Choral Arts Foundation

• provides grants to local choruses • promotes choral performances to the Upper Valley community • offers professional development opportunities to conductors and choristers • extends networking opportunities to choral musicians

The ultimate goal is to energize those who sing and those who listen to both formal and casual performances of community choruses, church choirs, and school music groups. Music lovers who wish to financially support CAFUV should know that their donations to CAFUV are tax deductible and are used solely to support choral music. For more info, go to http://choralartsuv.org/ or find a conference organizer.

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Quick Bites and Restaurants in Hanover

On Campus: 53 Commons $ Buffet dining 11-2:30pm; 5-8:30pm Collis Cafe $ A la carte salads/wraps Fri 7am-5pm; Sat 7am-2:30pm

Take Out In Town: Boloco $ Inspired Burritos, Wraps, Smoothies, Salads 35 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-0202 Jewel of India $ 27 Lebanon Street Phone: 603-643-2217 Orient Chinese Restaurant $ Take-Out, Free Delivery 3 Lebanon Street Phone: 603-643-8888 Everything But Anchovies $ Pizza, subs, salads, pasta 5 Allen Street Phone: 603-643-6135 Morano Gelato $ Pure Italian Gelato 57 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-4233 Ramunto's $ Best pizza in town. Try the garlic knot crust 9 South Street Phone: 603-643-9500

   Market Table $$ Eat.Good.Food. 44 South Main Street Phone: 603-676-7996 Starbucks $ No description necessary. 44 South Main Street Stinson's Village Store $ Sandwiches to go. 2 Allen Street Phone: 603-643-6086 Thai Orchid $ 44 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-0300 Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine $$ Downstairs off Nugget Alley 5 South Main St. 603-277-9192 Umpleby's Bakery $$ (Bfast and Lunch only) 3 South Street Phone: 603-643-3030 Sushi Ya $$ Korean, Japanese, restaurant, takeout, catering 72-74, south main street Phone: 603-643-4000 Subway $ 3 Lebanon St. (Upstairs)

Dining In: Base Camp $$$ Nepalese cuisine. Spicy! 3 Lebanon Street Phone: 603-643-2007  Candela Tapas Lounge $$ 15 Lebanon Street Phone: 603-277-9094 Canoe Club $$$ Classy food and drinks. 27 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-9660 Lou's Restaurant $ (Bfast and Lunch only) Local & Loving It 30 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-3321 Molly's $ Home of the $2 Margarita 43 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-2570 Murphy's $$ Innovative local American food with a rustic flair. 11 South Main Street Phone: 603-643-4075 PINE Restaurant $$$ Two East Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 Phone: 603-646-8000 Salt Hill Pub $ Honest Food. Perfect Pints. 7 Lebanon Street, Suite 103 Phone: 603-676-7855

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FAQ

Where do I park?

If you did not order a parking pass, there is parking available in the two parking garages in town (Lebanon St and School St). The campus parking lots marked with a green square are open to the public after 5pm, but parking on campus without a parking pass will likely result in a ticket.

I’m staying in a dorm and have questions about my accommodations. Who should I contact?

Johanna Evans will be the “RA” for those staying in the dorms. You may reach her by email (jrtevans@gmail.com) or phone (603-892-6809).

I’m interested in two workshops that are happening at the same time. What do I do?

The conference organizers will have extra copies of the workshop handouts, but we will be unable to videotape all of the workshop sessions. We hope that you will find something instructive and inspiring in each session.

Can I participate in multiple small ensembles?

This is at the discretion of the ensemble leaders. We suggest that you pick one and attend all rehearsals, so that you can perform in a small ensemble in the final concert

Do I get to keep my music?

You may keep the music from the reading sessions, if you choose to attend them, but the ensemble and workshop music has been borrowed from local choral libraries and needs to be returned. Thanks

I have lost my reading glasses/wallet/keys/hat/umbrella. How can I get it back?

If you have retraced your steps and were unable to find something important to you, call the conference organizer (603-892-6809) and she will do her absolute best to coordinate with the other conference staff to track it down.

If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to call the Conference Site Coordinator:

Johanna Evans, 603-892-6809

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NOTES

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Dartmouth College Music Department, Hopkins Center for the Arts

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Dartmouth Campus