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Maryland Chorus Retires in May '09
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
After a distinguished 40-year history marked by international appearances, celebrated Handel Festivals, and annual holiday concerts, the acclaimed Maryland Chorus will be officially retired by the UM School of Music at the end of the Spring 2009 semester. The Chorus's final performance will take place on Sunday, May 10, 2009 in the Clarice Smith Center’s Dekelboum Concert Hall.
The retirement of this primarily non-student ensemble coincides with a restructuring of the School of Music’s choral program that will focus resources on ensembles that serve the needs of undergraduate and graduate Music majors, and satisfy curricular requirements for degree-seeking students. Five such choirs will continue to operate: University Chorale, UM Chamber Singers, Men’s & Women’s Choruses, and Opera Chorus. The UM Summer Chorus will continue to serve the needs of non-student community members.
Created in 1967 as the “University of Maryland Chorus” for a special performance of Beethoven’s Ninth with the National Symphony Orchestra, the ensemble drew hundreds of singers from the campus, College Park, and surrounding communities. Under the leadership of founding director Paul Traver, the Chorus built an international reputation for excellence and helped to strengthen ties between the University and the residents of College Park. The Chorus’s success paved the way for subsequent choirs, and an expanded choral/vocal curriculum now in place at the University of Maryland.
The UM School of Music celebrates the history and achievements of the Maryland Chorus, with gratitude and praise for its dedicated members, past and present. As the choral program continues to respond and adapt to changing needs and priorities within the School of Music, the place of the Maryland Chorus in our history is assured.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ's)
Q: WHY is the School of Music retiring the Maryland Chorus?
A: There are numerous contributing factors. Here are four main reasons:
- Changes in curriculum: Since 2000, the School of Music has been re-evaluating its performance ensembles with an increased focus on offerings that satisfy the educational needs and curricular requirements of current, degree-seeking students. The Maryland Chorus primarily serves non-students.
- New Opportunities: Collaborations with orchestras and other ensembles – including a revived partnership with the National Symphony Orchestra – are increasingly contingent on using an all-student symphonic choir, which can be accomplished with the School of Music’s other existing choral ensembles.
- Budget & Resources: Budget cuts and other limitations (facility space, rehearsal time, faculty/staff) now demand a strategic re-alignment of resources. The choral program must be streamlined to avoid overlap, meet new goals, and maintain quality of the student ensembles.
- Completion of Mission: The original goals of the Maryland Chorus have been met. Its mission has been fulfilled. The Chorus set precedents for town-gown relations, established a partnership with the NSO, completed a 20-year Handel Festival project, toured the world to critical acclaim, and laid the foundation for an entire choral program at the UM School of Music. This trail-blazing ensemble also helped spark a surge in choral interest and offerings throughout the Washington D.C. region, now home to a thriving choral scene.
Q: Is the decision final?
A: Yes. The decision to retire the Maryland Chorus is the result of careful examination of the School of Music’s current and future curricular needs, as well as its resources. The Maryland Chorus (MUSC 329D/649D) will not appear in the future editions of the Schedule of Classes.
Q: What about the Annual Holiday Concerts?
A: The Annual Holiday Concerts will no longer appear on the School of Music’s performance calendar. Instead, the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols, now in its 8th year, will serve as the School of Music’s annual holiday celebration. Also removed from the concert calendar: the Fall Choral Collage and the Maryland Chorus’s Spring Showcase, typically a Mother’s Day concert.
Q: Will the School of Music replace The Maryland Chorus with another choir specifically for non-students?
A: No. No new “community” or “town-gown” choir will be created; remaining choirs will continue their focus on Music majors and degree-seeking students.
Q: Will the names “University of Maryland Chorus” or “Maryland Chorus” be recycled by another School of Music ensemble?
A: No. The names will be retired to preserve the history of the Chorus.
Q: Does this retirement apply to any other UM choirs?
A: No. Other choirs such as the Men’s Chorus & Women’s Chorus are separate ensembles, and they are unaffected by the retirement of The Maryland Chorus.
Q: Without the Maryland Chorus, how will the School of Music perform standard orchestral/choral repertoire that requires a large chorus?
A: Smaller existing choirs – the University Chorale, Chamber Singers, Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus – will come together to form a large symphonic chorus, as needed.
Q: When is the Maryland Chorus’s final concert?
A: The final concert is scheduled for Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 3PM in the Clarice Smith Center’s Dekelboum Concert Hall. Tickets are $25 for adults, $7 for full-time students. For more information, visit www.music.umd.edu/calendar.
Q: Will the UM Summer Chorus continue?
A: Yes! Summer Chorus will still be offered as a non-credit, 3-week ensemble comprising adults, college students, and advanced high school students. This year’s Summer Chorus takes place June 29 – July 18, 2009. Final preparations are being made now and more info will be available soon via the School of Music's website and the Office of Choral Activities. Community singers are welcomed and encouraged to join.
Q: What other choral opportunities exist for current members of the Maryland Chorus?
A: In addition to the UM Summer Chorus (see above) the D.C. - Baltimore metropolitan region is teeming with community choirs. For a partial list, contact the Office of Choral Activities, 301-405-5571, umchoirs@umd.edu.
Contact: Shawn Eigenbrode, Communications Coordinator
Phone: 301.405.7283
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