The biannual ACDA 2019 National Conference starts tonight in Kansas City. Although I won’t be attending this year, I have many friends and colleagues who are, so I’m sharing some previews.
I’ve prepared a cheat sheet of conference offerings that appeal to my particular interests: vocal jazz, TTBB Choirs, and composing/arranging. I’ll offer separate posts with each area, as well as a general set of don’t-miss sessions.
In this post: TTBB Choirs
TTBB choirs are alive and well in ACDA. I do hope that by the next National Conference, ACDA has taken the step to refer to them as TTBB choirs rather than Men’s Choirs.
Tuesday
8:00 PM Heartland Men’s Chorus (Dustin Cates, conductor) The opening Kaleidoscope Concert, featuring local Kansas City performing ensembles, will conclude with the wonderful Heartland Men’s Chorus. I’ve gotten to know their conductor, Dustin Cates, a little via social media, and I think he’s doing really fabulous things. The concert features several pieces re-arranged for TTBB, as well as Tallis’ If Ye Love Me and includes both a composition and an arrangement by local composer Jacob Narverud. This will be a perfect kickoff to the Conference!
Wednesday
10:00 AM Honoring and Validating Transgender Singers in a Choral Context I: Practical and Pedagogical Considerations (Interest Session) Exploring topics from the sociological (uniforms, e.g.) to musical (voicings, etc.), this subject matter couldn’t be more important to those of us conducting TTBB Choirs. This session is being led by my friend Joshua Palkki, who has done ground-breaking research in the area and is a wonderful leader.
1:00 PM (Gold)/3:15 PM (Blue) Southwest Junior High School Select Men (Alan Showalter, conductor) The first TTBB ensemble will be this Junior High ensemble from a 7-8-9 Junior High in Sprigdale, Arkansas.
2:30 PM (Gold)/4:45 PM (Blue) Baylor University Men’s Choir (Randall Bradley, conductor) As part of the same concert, you will hear this collegiate TTBB ensemble, singing mostly modern repertoire as well as Mendelssohn’s Adspice Domine de sede.
Thursday
10:00 AM & 11:00 AM Developing Community in the Choral Rehearsal (Interest Session) Randall Bradley will present, along with the Baylor Men’s Chorus you heard yesterday, on the topic of creating a vulnerable space for music-making and group connection.
1:00 PM (Blue)/4:10 PM (Gold) Müller Chamber Choir (Taiwan). (Meng-Hsien Peng, conductor) This choir has traveled halfway around the world to present an outstanding set of modern TTBB repertoire, featuring two pieces recently commissioned by the ensemble.
6:30pm/9:00pm Central Standard Chorus (Kansas City Metro Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society). (Robert Mance, conductor) The Barbershop/Show Choir Concert has two performance, but is not tracked blue/gold – so select whichever you prefer. This ensemble is singing a mixture of Barbershop, pop, and what looks like originally composed TTBB pieces.
7:00pm/9:30pm The Westminster Chorus (Westminster, CA Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society) (Justin Miller, conductor) One of the most successful competitive Barbershop choruses will present their style here, and again will perform a mix of Barbershop and choral TTBB repertoire (Shawn Kirchner’s Unclouded Day, but also a medley of songs from The Greatest Showman).
Friday
8:15 AM Men’s Choirs Reading Session. As always, reading sessions offer an excellent opportunity to get to know new and standard repertoire for TTBB Choirs.
9:15 AM Men’s Choirs Forum. Stick around after the reading session for a discussion of issues of particular interest to conductors of TTBB Choirs.
10:00 AM Honoring and Validating Transgender Singers in a Choral Context II: Practical and Pedagogical Considerations (Interest Session) Continue exploring transgender singers’ identities and experiences with presenters Matthew Garrett and Loraine Sims.
10:00 AM & 11:00 AM Unlocking the Mystery of Middle School Men (Interest Session) Recruitment, assessment, and esprit de corps are some of the topics considered in this session from J. Reese Norris of Hernando (Mississippi) Middle School.
2:30 PM (Blue)/4:45 PM (Gold) Plano East High School Varsity Men’s Chorus. (Daniel Knight, conductor) A strong set of mostly contemporary TTBB choral repertoire – Ethan Sperry, Jeffrey Ames, and Michael McGlynn are all represented. A different Plano, TX high school TTBB choir performed two years ago at the ACDA Conference.
Saturday
1:30 PM (Gold)/3:00 PM (Blue) Miami University Men’s Glee Club. (Jeremy Jones, conductor) Again, mostly contemporary TTBB repertoire, with addition of two movements from Poulenc’s Quatre petite prières de saint Fançois d’Assise.
4:30 PM High School/Collegiate TTBB Honor Choir Concert. (Jefferson Johnson, conductor)The artists formerly known as SPEBSQSA remain movers and shakers in the world of TTBB singing, and they will be hosting a reception for like-minded Barbershoppers on Saturday evening.
You can keep yourself pretty busy attending just TTBB Choir events at the 2019 ACDA National Conference…but you shouldn’t! There’s plenty more to take in, including Vocal Jazz, Composing/Arranging, and these Don’t-Miss sessions!