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We
in The Chesapeake Chorale are dedicated
to the joy of performing choral music of
many traditions, eras, and cultures.
We aim to enlighten our singers musically
and vocally through uplifting rehearsals.
We strive to give performances that
enrich singers' and listeners' appreciation
of the choral art.
We are committed to serving the local
community as an educational resource that
promotes understanding and love of choral
music.
Chesapeake
Chorale Mission Statement, 1999
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Jesse
Parker
Jesse Parker, D.M.A., is returning for his seventh season as the Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Chorale. He is also the founder and Music Director of Voices XXI and Director of Music at Chevy Chase United Methodist Church. Before creating Voices XXI and joining the Chesapeake Chorale, he was the Associate Conductor of the Maryland Handel Festival, and he has served on the faculties of the University of Maryland and Sweet Briar College. He studied conducting with Paul Traver at the University of Maryland, where he earned a doctorate in music, and for more than ten years assisted Dr. Traver in preparing the Maryland Chorus for performances in the U.S. and Europe, with many renowned conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Lorin Maazel, Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta, Antal Dorati, and John Nelson. Dr. Parker has conducted on tour abroad with performances in Austria, France, Italy and Ireland. In July 2000, he was one of eight regional conductors to be selected by the National Symphony Orchestra to prepare choirs for the premier of Maury Yeston’s “An American Cantata”, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Dr. Parker has been active in the Washington area for over 20 years holding conducting positions in churches and with a number of community groups including serving as the conductor of the Preparatory Orchestra at the Washington Conservatory of Music and more recently as the Principal Conductor of the NIH Chamber Orchestra. In the fall of 2006, Dr. Parker began an association with Chevy Chase Chamber Music as the Resident Conductor in a performance of Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat." |
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Susan
Ricci Rogel Accompanist for The Chesapeake Chorale since 1997, Susan Ricci Rogel is widely known throughout the Washington Metropolitan area as an excellent collaborative pianist. Ms. Ricci Rogel earned her Master of Music in Vocal Accompanying and Instrumental Chamber Music and her Bachelor of Music (Summa Cum Laude) in Piano Performance, both from the University of Maryland. Her teachers included Andor Kiszely, Bradford Gowen, Evelyn Garvey, and Robert McCoy. Ms. Ricci Rogel has acted as coach/accompanist for opera programs at George Mason University, Catholic University, and the University of Maryland, as well as Des Moines Metro Opera, and has collaborated in concerts held at the Kennedy Center, Barns of Wolf Trap, the Lyceum in Alexandria, and the Arts Club of Washington. Currently Director of Music at Christian Community Church in Bowie, she is also a member of the music faculty at Prince George's Community College. In 2006, she was inducted into the Theta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for Key Women Educators.
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Dianne
Webster
Assistant Conductor of The Chesapeake Chorale for the past 19 seasons, Dianne Webster is also a founding member of the Chorale and sits on the Chorale's Board of Directors. A graduate of Dickinson State University in North Dakota with a degree in Music, Ms. Webster has been the Choir Director at Village Baptist Church for 25 years. Dianne has taught in St. Paul, Minnesota, for the Department of Defense, at St. Matthew's Early Education Center and she presently teaches at Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School in Bowie, Maryland. Ms. Webster has worked with conductors Robert Shaw, Sir David Willcocks, Weston Noble, Paul Salmonovich and John Rutter. Dianne has studied voice under Edwards Crafts, and has attended Westminster Choir College. |
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History
Founded
in 1981 by Karen Gilbert Landis as The Bowie-Crofton Choral Society,
The Chesapeake Chorale provided a new cultural and social benefit
to the local community by presenting high quality concerts of diverse
styles and periods. The Society grew and developed a wider geographic
area of influence. To reflect this growth, the group was renamed
The Chesapeake Chorale in 1987. Dr. Paul Rardin led the group
from 1994 through 2001. The Chesapeake Chorale's current Artistic
Director, Dr. Jesse Parker, was appointed
in 2002.
The
Chesapeake Chorale is a chorus of 50-60
singers which rehearses in Bowie, Maryland,
and draws members and audiences from the
greater Washington and Baltimore areas.
The Chorale concert season includes three
to four concerts per year in the Bowie/Crofton
area, with additional guest appearances
at other locations throughout the year.
Membership
in the Chesapeake Chorale is by audition
and is open to all. Singers pay an annual
membership fee, purchase music and concert
attire, and sell tickets for each concert.
The Chorale is managed by a volunteer Board
of Directors, comprised of members of the
Chorale, community business leaders, and
area professional musicians. The Chesapeake
Chorale is also a member of Chorus
America.
A
not-for-profit organization, the Chesapeake
Chorale is supported by donations from individuals
and corporations, and by grants from the
State of Maryland, Prince George's County,
and the City of Bowie.
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Rehearsal
& Member Information
The
Chesapeake Chorale rehearses
Tuesday evenings from September through
May,
from 7:45 to 10:00 pm
(Chamber Choir meets from 7:15 to 7:45 pm)
at Christian Community Presbyterian Church
Belair Drive
Bowie, MD
Members
support the Chorale by paying dues and purchasing
concert music.
For the 2007-2008 season, dues are $65, and are pro-rated for those
beginning later in the season.
Music fees average about $25 per concert.
In
addition, members are expected to have concert
dress:
Men: black tuxedo, white shirt,
black bow tie & cummerbund
Women: black dress/skirt &
blouse - long sleeves and skirts
(please refer to Chorale Policy Manual for
further information)
Auditions
for new members are held every September
and January.
If
you would like to be a member, please contact
Artistic Director Jesse Parker at jesseprkr@aol.com
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The
Chesapeake Chorale
P. O. Box 1037
Bowie, MD 20718-1037
(410) 721-5422 |