The Greeley Chorale is excited and proud to bring you our 54th season of “quality choral music for the enjoyment, cultural enrichment, and education of the community.” This quote is from the Chorale’s Mission Statement. Also in our Mission Statement is to provide the “education of the community, including its youth.”
The Chorale has always had a close relationship with the University of Northern Colorado. Directors of the Chorale, including Howard Skinner, its founder, Carl Gerbrandt, and Galen Darrough are leaders of music throughout Northern Colorado. That connection with UNC was strengthened four years ago when the Chorale instituted the Greeley Chorale Conducting Scholarship, to be awarded annually to a junior majoring in music education. This spring, the fifth winner of the Scholarship will be named. Past winners are already taking lead roles in the world of choral music. Also, three current graduate conducting students of Dr. Darrough are part of a graduate practicum, through which each of them takes a turn rehearsing the Chorale.
The Chorale also recognizes and promotes choral music in local high schools. Our guest choir for the October concert was the Greeley Central High School Chamber Choir. Directed by Richard Green, a past member of the Greeley Chorale, the Chamber Choir joined us in two rehearsals, performed a number of their own at our fall concert, and joined the Chorale and Kream of the Krop in a rousing finale.
Another recent outreach for the Chorale is joining in the formation of the Front Range Choral Alliance, an organization or community choirs throughout the area. Member choirs include the Chorale, the Larimer Chorale, the Loveland Choral Society, the Boulder Chorale, the Longmont Chorale, and five other groups. At quarterly meetings, the choirs exchange concert dates and share planning, organizational, financial, and programming ideas. Just as supporting university and high school singers makes for a larger choral community, the FRCA can only strengthen the choirs of Northern Colorado.
The Chorale has named this season “A Krop of Great Music.” Through three main concerts, Pops & Pasta!, and participation in many local events, the Chorale is ever tilling the musical fields of Weld County and Northern Colorado. Working with the high schools of Greeley, sharing talents and efforts with the University of Northern Colorado, and participating in the Front Range Choral Alliance will lead to record “Krops.”
Jim DeMersseman Greeley Chorale Board of Directors
Stay tuned to learn more about out outreach programs in the upcoming weeks!