Remember the first time you sang in a really good choir? When your ears awoke as if you were experiencing music for the very first time? For many, this moment occurs in a college or university setting, and leaves a deep impression on the mind and soul about what music can be when it is truly at its best.
Read MoreI remember some performances particularly for their music, others for the musicians, and still others for their memorable setting. This spring the UT Tyler Patriot Singers experienced all three as we performed the National Anthem to open a Mavericks NBA game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas…
Read MoreOn July 29, as part of their 'Music and the Spoken Word' broadcast, it was an honor to have my new arrangement of Be Thou My Vision premiered by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, together with Leticia Oaks Strong, guest violist from the Los Angeles Philharmonic…
Read MoreTonight we closed a most memorable university year with a most memorable concert, performing with the East Texas Symphony in Handel's Zadok the Priest, Brahms' Nänie, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9…
Read MoreIn the world of youth choirs, East Texas is home to something special. Voices of Faith is a stellar group of teenagers from home school families throughout the region who come together on Wednesday afternoons to sing and fellowship...
Read MoreThis past week I was pleased to present a joint lecture-recital with the Patriot Singers at the College Music Society Southwest Regional Conference. I spoke about many of the steps involved in growing a performing arts program, and the Singers performed selections of their diverse and exciting repertoire (video)....
Read MoreI recently finished an arrangement of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' to add to our upcoming university choral concert. My desire was that it be simple enough for a small church choir to sing well, but musical enough for a larger university of professional chorus to include on a concert program...
Read MoreWhat is the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the word 'Baroque'? If you are a musician there is a strong likelihood that your response was 'Bach.' In my youth, I was one of those fortunate souls whose piano teacher ensured that Johann Sebastian Bach was a regular part of my studies...
Read MoreA few years ago I observed a humorous dialogue between a church music director and her choir. The singers had been working on the classic hymn, 'How Great Thou Art,' and after finishing the final verse the director sought to inspire her sopranos with the following words, "when you come to the last chorus, do that thing that sopranos do"...
Read MoreThe UT Tyler Patriot Singers were honored to share a concert performance with the sensational Philippine Madrigal Singers, directed by Mark Anthony! Caldwell Auditorium in downtown Tyler was filled with a highly responsive audience with particular strong support from the generous Filipino community of East Texas. The following morning we hosted the 'MADZ' in our choral hall...
Read More
