For four decades, our Festival Singers choirs have offered singers and audiences the opportunity to be a part of the life-changing world of immortal music. The New South Festival Singers, based in Atlanta, is our original ensemble created in 1985. The Kansas City-based William Baker Festival Singers was created in 1998. Zimria Festivale Atlanta, our ensemble focusing on Jewish traditional music, was added in 2015. In 2022, we welcomed the addition of Voces Festivas, our Spanish-language ensemble celebrating the Heritage of Hispanic composers and traditional music. Kansas City Bronze was founded in 2019 and is now a six-octave ensemble comprised of elite handbell ringers and directors from across the region.
In 2022 the Choral Foundation expanded to Chicago with the creation of Vox Venti under the direction of Ed Frazier Davis. Vox Venti is a semi-professional ensemble of 32 voices with a special affection for new music, commissions, premiers, and the expressions of composers from under-represented populations.
The Summer Singers and Summer Ringers provide opportunities for adults and mature youth from all backgrounds and musical experiences to perform timeless masterworks in collaboration with the finest professional soloists and orchestral musicians. These include The Summer Singers of Atlanta, The Summer Singers of Kansas City, Cobb Summer Singers, The Summer Singers of Lee's Summit, and the Summer Ringers Academy.
Educational opportunities and resources abound through The Choral Foundation. Our Choral Intern program has provided hands-on experience for aspiring conductors in degree programs at the Master's and Doctoral level. Over three dozen alumni of these programs serve in significant church, school, and university positions across the nation.
The Institute for Healthy Singing & Voice Research, created by Lynn Swanson and now led by Dr. Jamea Sale and her professional staff, provide instruction in vocal hygiene and health to singers from children to senior adult, as well as to music educators, church musicians, singing teachers, and public speakers. The IHS&VR, in cooperation with Mid-America Nazarene University now offers graduate level continuing education credit. The Institute is truly international, offering online programming across the globe and conducting training, research and outreach in China and Kenya.
The Institute for Choral Creativity champions the creative works of emerging composers through its annual Choral Competition each fall. The first and second place winners of the Barnard Awards for New Music receive cash prizes and premiers of their compositions in Chicago, Kansas City and Atlanta. The Insitute for Choral Creativity is now based in Chicago and is under the direction of Ed Frazier Davis.
Choral Conversations Podcast is a monthly podcast show featuring interviews with choral professionals and enthusiasts from across the globe, along with delightful musical examples highlighting the diverse experiences of our guests.
Amber Waves Music Publishing offers a wide variety of published music and choral recordings for both the professional conductor and the choral enthusiast. The Jane Sullivan Choral Resource Library has become one of the largest independent repositories of choral music, recordings, and reference materials in the Midwest. JSCRL provides grants of music scores to organizations serving under-privileged populations, and rental services to church, school, and community organizations nationwide.
The Choral Foundation is here to serve you. Please contact us today to tell us how!
Soli Deo Gloria,
William O. Baker, DMA
Founder & Director