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Mortals & Angels

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

Acts

Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Mortals & Angels: A Bluegrass Te Deum (World Premiere)
Commissioned by the DCINY Premiere Project

Featuring Distinguished Concerts Singers International 

Bluegrass represents one of the most American, down home, traditions of American musical culture. From Bill Monroe to the Steep Canyon Rangers, bluegrass has been a staple of our culture.Through this project, we aim to preserve these grand traditions and bring about a new work focused on introducing new audiences to the bluegrass choral world and beyond. Following the acclaimed success of The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass, dynamic duo Chamberlain and Barnett are teaming up again to bring you a follow up masterwork- Mortals & Angels: A Bluegrass Te Deum.

Partially commissioned by DCINY, this work will receive its World Premiere at Carnegie Hall on January 25, 2016. Featuring a classical chorus of 300 voices including a treble choir, this new work aims to employ the traditional bluegrass style within the context of classical structure. The text will include direct passages from ancient scripture and contemporary prayer. 

The DCINY Premiere Project would like to thank the following Official Kickstarter supporters for their help in making this project become a reality.

Lee Thomas
Marvin Balamut
Detroit Lakes Shakespeare
Max Shinn
Sage Lewis
Christian
Kevin Taylor
Charles Schwartz
Saeteesh'
Amy Zellmer
David T Schaller
Yvonne Cheek
Zack Baltich
Julie Webb
Pat O'Keefe
Jocelyn Hagen
Benji Flaming
Claudia Graebel Beermann
Hannah Texler
Joy Benn
Linda Shapiro
Derek Johnson
Steve Bye
Warren Park
Alice Sather
Kasey Payette
Jo Seton
Clara and Darryl Muggli-Toyloy
Kathleen Palmer
Jamie Kirsch
Amy Anderson
Mary Jane Jatko
Dr. Deborah Fletcher
Janis Weller
Kim Ryan
Michael Chamberlain
Rachel Trelstad-Porter
Lisa Q Steinberg
Michael Reid Winikoff
Jesus Maria Alvarez
The Music Angels
Claire Givens & Andrew Dipper
David Myers
Roxane Harvey Gudeman
Lesley Atwood
Janice Robbins
Louise Mundinger
Alyssa Anderson
Karen Koepp
Kay and Mike McCarthy
A. Eric Heukeshoven
Kathi Wilson-Massey
Nancy Menk
Mary E. Youngquist
Rebekah Vieira
Camille Lee
Lesley Atwood and Rick Smith
Ian Good
Diamond Carolyn
John McWilliams
John T. Fernandez
Jane Hovland
Bill Spinelli & Karen Moore
Todd Boss
Robert Pontious
Janice & Donald Shoultz
Jack and Linda Hoeschler
Warren Zaffke
Katharine Allen
Mina Fisher and Fritz Nelson
Debbie Bloom

Also Featuring:

Penelope Shumate, Soprano

Krysty Swann, Mezzo-Soprano

Yungbae Yang, Tenor

Jeremy Milner, Bass

Participating Groups

Bay Port High School Concert Choir

Carpe Diem Vocal Ensemble and Parish Choir of St. Stephen''s Episcopal Church - Edina, MN

Deer Creek Chorale

Fallston High School Concert Choir

La Crosse Chamber Chorale

New York City Children's Chorus at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church

North Oldham High School Choir

St. Augustine Chamber Singers

Greeneville High School Advanced Chorus

Special Guests

Artist's Name

Carol Barnett & Marisha Chamberlain

Artist's Name

Dailey & Vincent

Artist's Name

Luigi Salerni

Artist's Name

Jay Disney

Artist's Name

Linda Powell

Participating Group Directors

Bay Port High School Concert Choir
Michael D. Pufall
Michael Pufall is one of two full-time choral directors at Bay Port High School in the Howard-Suamico School District near Green Bay, Wisconsin. He directs three of the school's six curricular choirs including both large and small auditioned mixed voice choirs as well as a non-auditioned male voice choir. He also co-teaches the school's International Baccalaureate music course. Michael received his undergraduate degree in music education from St. Olaf College and his Masters in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to teaching at the high school level, he also has experience teaching music at the elementary and middle school levels. A proponent of sight-reading and music literacy, he challenges his students to become strong, independent, and life-long musicians.

Carpe Diem Vocal Ensemble and Parish Choir of St. Stephen''s Episcopal Church - Edina, MN
Clark Howard Duhrkopf
Clark Duhrkopf is a graduate of Sumner Iowa High School, Waldorf College - Forest City, Iowa - and the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls. Not only a conductor, Clark has performed the role of Tony in West Side Story and Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden. He has also sung "God Bless America", "O Canada" and the "Star Spangled Banner" for the Minnesota Twins Baseball organization, as well as the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center. Mr. Duhrkopf has sang in China and made several visits to Europe, including a performance for the Pope in 1998 with the UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club. He has also directed many Musical Theatre productions.

Carpe Diem Vocal Ensemble (CDVE) and Parish Choir are based within St. Stephen's Church, in Edina, MN. CDVE is marking it's 15th Season (founded in September 2001). Clark has been with the Parish Choir since February of 1997. Both choral ensembles sing a wide variety of musical styles, including Broadway tunes, Jazz, Spirituals, major works by Karl Jenkins, and more. Additionally, CDVE performs Christmas and Spring concerts and the "Star Spangled Banner" for the Special Olympics in Minnesota. The Parish Choir leads worship on Sundays, holidays and for special services. Each group is comprised of excellent singers who simply "love to sing". This performance marks their second DCINY appearance.

Deer Creek Chorale
Martha S. Banghart
Martha Banghart established the Deer Creek Chorale to promote the study and performance of quality choral repertoire, working with guest conductors such as Simon Carrington, Tom Hall, Paul Head, Karen Kennedy, John Guthmiller, Drew Collins, and Z. Randall Stoope. Carmina Burana, Mass in Time of War, Mass of the Children, Glorias by Rutter and Poulenc, Requiems by Brahms and Fauré, Magnificats by Bach and Pergolesi, and Britten's Ceremony of Carols are some of the major works she has brought to the wider community. Awards include Teacher of the Year, Humanitarian Award, Teacher of Excellence in Maryland, and Director of Note.

The Deer Creek Chorale embodies the idea that singing builds community through an inter-generational, non-auditioned chorus of singers of all abilities and experience levels from the greater Baltimore and southern Pennsylvania area, pursuing choral artistry, community service, and personal enrichment. Its mission is to sing locally and give globally, bringing attention to social and cultural issues through performances of major works such as The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass (Barnett/Chamberlain) under the direction of Paul Rardin with the Monroe Crossing, and Lux Aeterna (Lauridsen) under the direction of Bruce Rogers. Venues range from New York to Beijing to Canada.

Fallston High School Concert Choir
Patricia G. Ballinger
Patricia Ballinger has been choral director at Fallston High School in Harford County, Maryland for twenty - two years. She received her undergraduate degree in music education from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa and a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. From 1979 – 1986, Patricia was one of eleven staff organists for Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri, playing regular organ recitals on the 110-rank Aeolian Skinner pipe organ. Patricia has studied choral conducting, voice building, and private voice through Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ and Towson University, Baltimore, MD. 

Fallston High School Concert Choir, from Harford County, Maryland, is an auditioned group of twenty-five women. We perform choral literature of many styles and periods of music history for Fallston students and families, as well as for the greater Fallston, Bel Air communities and beyond. Eight of our chorus members participated in Harford County All-County Chorus in January / February of this year and two were Senior Maryland All-State Chorus participants. In May, 2015, we joined Harford County Community Chorus, Deer Creek Chorale, and three other ensembles to perform Carol Barnett’s World Beloved: Bluegrass Mass under the direction of Dr. Paul Rardin and with the bluegrass ensemble, Monroe Crossing. That experience brings thirteen of us to this moment. What a great honor to participate in this premiere performance of Mortals and Angels: A Bluegrass Te Deum.

La Crosse Chamber Chorale
Paul Rusterholz
La Crosse Chamber Chorale Conductor Paul Rusterholz received a BA from Macalester College, where he sang under and studied with Dale Warland. He holds a MA in Music History from the University of Minnesota, and a DMA in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, where he studied with Rodney Eichenberger. From 1978‐1989 he directed the choirs at the College of St. Teresa in Winona, Minnesota. From 1989‐2011 he directed the UW‐L Choral Union and the UW‐L Women''s Chorus. Paul is a member of Chorus America, the American Choral Directors’ Association, and the International Federation for Choral Music.

The La Crosse Chamber Chorale is a volunteer, community based choir whose singers are united by a love of choral singing. The Chorale was founded in 1986 and has been led by Dr. Paul Rusterholz since 1990. Its staff, singers and Board of Directors are committed to bringing professional quality choral music, artistic excellence and creative programming to La Crosse, Wisconsin and surrounding communities.

New York City Children's Chorus at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
Mary Huff
New York City Children’s Chorus Director Mary Huff’s favorite performances with her choirs include Vaughan Williams' Hodie, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, Britten’s Saint Nicolas, Faure’s Requiem, and Mahler's Third Symphony, the last of which was her Carnegie Hall debut in 2009. Her choirs have appeared on all major television networks in their NYC studios, and her choirs can be heard on two titles on the MSR Classics label: Simple Gifts (2015) and Angel (2011). Among her favorite reviews was New York Magazine's listing of one of her chorister's performances of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms as one of the year's "Top Ten Classical Events in NYC" (Dec. 7, 2008). She is also the Associate Director of Music at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church and is a graduate of Furman and Yale Universities.

The New York City Children’s Chorus (NYCCC) at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church is a graded choral program for 170 children ages 4 to 18 from the metropolitan New York area. During previous seasons, the NYCCC has performed Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Britten’s Saint Nicolas and Ceremony of Carols, Vaughan William’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols, and Faure’s Requiem; and has enjoyed performances on Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, and the Today Show; as well as numerous outreach concerts for underserved New Yorkers. The NYCCC recent tours include performances in Vienna, Salzburg, Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Washington, DC. The NYCCC’s first recording, Simple Gifts, was released on the MSR Classics label and is available on iTunes, Amazon, and at nycchildrenschorus.org.

North Oldham High School Choir
Zack Doyle
Zack Doyle is the director of the North Oldham High School Choir Program. A native of Louisville, KY, Mr. Doyle attended Morehead State University in Morehead, KY where he earned a BME while studying horn under Dr. L. Curtis Hammond and conducting under Dr. Richard Miles. Prior to becoming the Choral Director at North Oldham in 2014, he taught music in high schools in Louisville and Nashville. Under his direction, his choirs have performed in NYC’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He is recently married to his beautiful wife, Lacey, and expecting his first child, a daughter, in April 2016.

The North Oldham High School Choirs consists of several ensembles, including the Chamber Choir, Concert Choir & Musical Theatre Ensemble, along with several student-led groups. Having only been in existence for a little over 10 years, NOHS has consistently produced award-winning ensembles that have performed all across the United States.

St. Augustine Chamber Singers
Kathleen R. Vande Berg
Kathleen Vande Berg has been the Choral Director of the Saint Augustine Singers and the Saint Augustine Community Chorus since 2006.   Ms. Vande Berg earned her BA in organ performance from Iowa’s Central College and a Masters in Music from Georgia State University.  She has been a music educator in settings from kindergarten through college for over thirty years and is now the music director at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church.  Ms. Vande Berg was recently knighted by Queen Mariana for  community service and also received the 2014 ROWITA (Recognizing Outstanding Women in the Arts) Award for her contributions as a musician.

The Saint Augustine Singers from Saint Augustine, Florida, are a 25-voice ensemble chosen from the 100-member Saint Augustine Community Chorus.  They present an October concert in the Cathedral Basilica on the Plaza in the Nation’s Oldest City every year to an enthusiastic, large audience.  Recently, their repertoire has included “The Mass of the Children”, John Rutter; “Jubilate” and “A Little Jazz Mass”, Bob Chilcott; and a program of madrigals.  Their concert this year featured “World Beloved: a Bluegrass Mass” performed with local bluegrass musicians.  The Singers have been directed by Kathleen Vande Berg since 2006.

For more information and updates about The Saint Augustine Singers, visit: https://www.facebook.com/StAugustineCommunityChorus

Greeneville High School Advanced Chorus
Kathryn May
Kathryn E. May is completing her thirty-first year as the Choral Director and AP Music Theory teacher at Greeneville High School in Greeneville, Tennessee.  She received her BSME and MAEd degrees from East Tennessee State University. The recipient of many awards, in 2015 she was named the Greeneville City Schools’ Dr. Ernest W. Martin “Champion for Children.” She is the conductor of the Tusculum College Community Chorus and choir director at Salem Presbyterian Church. Under May’s direction, GHS Choirs have performed many places, notably the 1996, 2000, and 2006 ACDA S-D Conventions. In 2014 the GHS Chorus performed in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC.  Most recently, May conducted a choir tour of GHS students and alumni throughout Italy.  

The GHS Advanced Chorus is an auditioned chorus comprised of grades 10-12 students.  They are committed to academic and artistic musical excellence. The assistant director is Matthew Brickey. Greeneville High School is a public high school serving 880 students in grades 9-12.  GHS Choirs have enjoyed many collaborative performances through the Niswonger Performing Arts Center adjacent to GHS. Known as the “Jewel City of the Mountains”, Greeneville abounds with nature’s beauty.  From the majestic Smoky Mountains to the many lakes and rivers surrounding our small town, Greeneville is a wonderful place to live!