The UTC Master Chorale will present their annual concert on Friday, June 11, 7:30 p.m., at Second Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga. The choir is directed by Dr. Kevin Ford, director of the UTC choral activities. The concert will feature challenging literature by many well known choral composers. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public.
The Master Chorale will open the program with “Verbum Caro Factum Est,” by Hassler, a jubilant and trumpet-like piece, followed by pieces by Handel, Purcell, Clausen, Hovahness, Barber, Young, and Whitacre. The concert will conclude with “Cloudburst,” by Eric Whitacre. This piece, sung in Spanish, will be accompanied by piano, hand chimes, bass drum, and thunder sheet in order to simulate the sound of a thunderstorm. Soloists throughout the concert will include Kirsten Ridge-Parker, Caitlin Hawkins, and Chris Epperson. David Friberg, organist at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, will be the accompanying organist, and UTC students, April Mathews and Sarah Marczynski will be guest conductors.
Master Chorale is a chorus that meets once per year to provide an advanced ensemble experience during summer term. Admission is open to any UTC student as a class. However, admission is also open to any interested community singer. In the summer term of 2004, this chorus was founded with the idea of combining UTC undergraduate and graduate students with active non-university singers in the Chattanooga area community. Membership in the UTC Master Chorale includes members of the Chattanooga Bach Choir, Chattanooga Choral Arts, the Chattanooga Symphony Chorus, and many area church choirs along with UTC and Cadek Conservatory faculty and students. The mixture of the younger singers with more mature voices produces an ensemble with power that is capable of performing works that might not be as feasible with only younger voices.
Ford is director of choral activities at UTC, where he also conducts the Chattanooga Singers and the Chamber Singers, mixed ensembles comprised of UTC undergraduate and graduate students that meet during the regular school year. Ford taught High School Chorus, Band, and Middle School Band in Rossville, Georgia. Additionally, he was teacher of conducting and choral music education at the Crane School of Music at The State University of New York College at Potsdam. Ford also served on the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte as director of choral activities and coordinator of Vocal Music Education prior to his current position.
For more information, please contact the UTC Music Department at 423-425-4601 or visit our website.
