Symposium Schedule

FRIDAY – NOVEMBER 10TH

11:30 am: Special Reunion Lunches – Michigan League: Michigan & Hussey Rooms

8:00 pm: Opening performance by Chanticleer – Hill Auditorium

SATURDAY – NOVEMBER 11TH

8:30-9:15 am: Workshop: William Fred Scott, Chanticleer Director – Rackham Auditorium

9:20-10:05 am: Workshop: Barrington Coleman, University of Illinois Varsity Men’s Glee Club Director – Rackham Amphitheater

Choral Composition & Improvisational Techniques

This session is designed to introduce interpretive concepts and explore a myriad of instructional techniques that are applicable to the creative spectrum of expressive choral music.

10:15-11:00 am: Workshop: Clayton Parr, Albion College – Rackham Auditorium

Male Choral Folk Music from the Republic of Georgia

The session will explore the ancient tradition of polyphonic choral folk singing and liturgical singing in Georgia – the wide array of regional styles and song genres, types of traditional polyphony, and sources for this music for use by male choirs. Through recordings and demonstrations, we’ll talk about traditional Georgian approaches to tuning, how they vary from Western temperament, and how to learn to perform using that understanding. Attached is a compilation of audio clips representing just a little of the range of sounds in Georgian folk and liturgical music.

11:15 am-12:00 pm: Lunch Break

12:00-1:30 pm: Guest Choir Performances – Hill Auditorium

Baldwin Wallace University Men’s Chorus

St. Olaf Viking Chorus

Miami University Men’s Glee Club

1:45-2:20 pm: Workshop: Paulo Lourenço (Portugal) – Rackham Auditorium

Music of Portugal

2:25-3:05 pm: Workshop: Joshua Habermann, Sante Fe Desert Choral Director – Rackham Auditorium

Score Study, Interpretation, and Choral Rehearsal Techniques

95% of our time is spent not in performance, but in rehearsal. How can we make our rehearsal process both more efficient and more enjoyable? Explore best practices of score preparation and rehearsal techniques designed to engage singers of all levels. 

3:10-3:50 Lhente Marie-Pitout (South Africa) – Rackham Amphitheater

Music of South Africa

Venues

Hill Auditorium

825 North University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Capacity = 3,561

With its superb acoustics, Hill Auditorium has served as the premier location to host many outstanding events. Former University of Michigan Regent, Arthur Hill, whose name the auditorium bears, donated $200,000 in his will for the construction of the auditorium. In addition, former University Musical Society President, Charles Sink, raised another $150,000 to complete the concert hall which opened in 1913. Since then, Hill Auditorium has been visited by some of the world’s most well-known performance artists. Included among these artists are Leontyne Price, Jesse Norman, Berlin Philharmonic, Yo-Yo Ma, Renee Fleming, Chanticleer, The King’s Singers and Bruce Springsteen.

View more about Hill Auditorium

Rackham Auditorium

915 East Washington Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Capacity = 1,125

Designed by architect William Kapp and architectural sculptor Corrado Parducci, Rackham Auditorium was quickly recognized as the ideal venue for chamber music. In 1941, the Musical Society presented its first chamber music festival with the Musical Art Quartet of New York performing three concerts in as many days, and the current Chamber Arts Series was born in 1963. Chamber music audiences and artists alike appreciate the intimacy, beauty and fine acoustics of the 1,060-seat auditorium, which has been the location for hundreds of chamber music concerts throughout the years.

View more about Rackham Auditorium

Michigan League

911 N University Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

The Michigan League provides the University community with elegant facilities and superb catering services, providing the perfect location and atmosphere for meetings and special events. In addition, the twenty-one room Inn at the Michigan League offers convenient and comfortable accommodations for visitors, alongside the Mendelssohn Theatre, with 640 seats, which provides unique entertainment experiences year-round.

View more about the the Michigan League

First United Methodist Church

120 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

The First United Methodist Church building was dedicated on October 6, 1940. It replaced a structure that had been standing on this piece of property since 1866. An open and affirming church to all of Ann Arbor, FUMC is a leading service community to the congregants and the Ann Arbor area. Three services over the weekend, an active music ministry and an engaging youth program make this a wonderful location to worship and serve the community.

View more about the the Church