Singers

The Oaks Chamber Singers

soprano
Adrian Benson, Carol Browning, Elizabeth Doswell, Bridget Fischer, Susan Frye, Stacey Goldstein, Rosa LoGiudice, Rachel Peck, Debbie Schaeffer, Nancy Truex

alto
Glenda Clift, Sheila Ilten, Linda Loomis, Coleen Ryan, Gabriele Sellars, Barbara Wilsey, Marcy Wingard

tenor
Sam Aranda, Mark Fischer, Phil Ilten, Leonard Loomis, Bill Lortz, Penny Puente

bass
Ronald Borgwardt, Edward Farias, Scott Hanchar, Kyung-tae Kim, Bruce MacKovich, Douglas Russell

About the singers

"... there is perhaps no greater testament to the ensemble's visionary achievements than the indisputable fact that every week, in rehearsal after rehearsal, professional musicians join forces with enlightened amateurs and sing and play together with absolutely no expectation of financial remuneration. Why would they give of their time and talent in such a pursuit? To my thinking, they do so because they have discovered in the Oaks Chamber Singers' quirky pursuit of music for the simple love of the art what Faure said was its ultimate purpose-- a transcendent experience, far above the mundane."

Randall K. Green
Professor of Music, Angelina College

About the singers from the director

Because of a commitment to music written for chamber venues, parlour venues, and small choruses, membership in the Oaks Chamber Singers is very limited.

Since early music was performed originally by boy sopranos, male altos, tenor and bass, we preserve the the quality of sound by recruiting lyric voices for the ensemble. We hold our membership between 24 - 27. When performing 5 part ssatb music, the female singers may move into various sections to accommodate the score. This requires good readers and musicality.

As a voice teacher trained in Boston with a soprano soloist background, I look for a clear, focused tone, clear vowels, and a good supported sound. This insures good pitch, clear intonation, and less fatique. I like a natural, supported sound. Not necessarily requiring years of training, I have held vocal workshops to encourage good technique amongst the chamber singers.

Second only to musical skills, personality ranks highest as one of our requirements. All of our members understand that congeniality, flexibility, and a healthy attitude in turn create a wonderful atmosphere in which to explore music. Music sung by enthusiastic, inspired singers sparkles with a vitality that cannot be matched.

All soloists are taken from the ensemble, something that sets us apart from other chamber groups. We rehearse Monday evenings from 7PM to 9PM. No extra rehearsals are called.