Long time no write!

I just noticed it's been forever since my last post--sorry for that!

It's been a busy year, as I noted it would be in an earlier post. I took over for Jerry McCoy this past year on an interim basis (after his retirement) as Director of Choral Studies at UNT . . . and kept the Collegium Singers plus my appointment as Chair of the Division of Conducting & Ensembles for the College of Music. This amounted to 1 and 2/3rds jobs (and at times, more, it seemed!). Lots of work, but lots of fun stuff, too!

Collegium Singers performed at the NCCO conference in Portland, OR in November. The A Cappella Choir had a busy fall with some performances now on YouTube:
Rheinberger Cantus Missae
Sven-David Sandström Agnus Dei
Brahms Liebeslieder Walzer
and in the Spring:
Stravinsky Les Noces
and
Haydn The Creation

All lots of fun.

Plus leading the graduate program in conducting with nine students in residence, six students finishing papers successfully (2 from earlier years who were at deadline) and four current DMAs who all got jobs (plus one MM, Tucker Bilodeau, who got a great job as assistant choral director at Nolan Catholic HS in Ft. Worth). The DMAs who finished and where they've landed:
Rob Ward, DCA at Emporia State, Kansas
John Irving, DCA at Christopher Newport University, Virginia
Dwight Jilek, DCA at Bemidji State, Minnesota
Dean Jilek, DCA at University of North Dakota

Terrific conductors and people, all of them!

In addition, I ran a successful search for the new Director of Choral Studies at UNT and Allen Hightower will begin that position this fall. I look forward to working with him!

I also look forward to a normal load this year!

I don't think I'll be blogging as regularly as before, but I hope it won't be 10 months until my next post!

Soon I'm heading to Santa Fe to guest conduct Josh Habermann's fabulous Santa Fe Desert Chorale. If you're in or near Santa Fe at the end of July or early August, come see me! Schedule is here. I'm conducting an all-Shakespeare program called Sounds and Sweet Airs.

If not there, I hope to see you at UNT, at ACDA in Minneapolis or the Boston Early Music Festival or perhaps the IFCM in Barcelona, should Kathryn and I manage to go!

All best for a wonderful year for all of you.