The Voice

Chorus America's award-winning quarterly magazine, The Voice, highlights chorus news, artistic initiatives in the choral world, and advice and commentary on the business of running a successful chorus. The Voice is distributed to nearly 2,000 choral leaders throughout North America. It is published in Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter; ISSN 1074-0805. Browse articles and past issues in the tabs below. Editor, Liza W. Beth

A revival of The Gates of Justice anchors a three-day festival that the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience will present on February 26-28 in Los Angeles. Leading up to the performance, artists, and scholars involved with the festival reflected on the significance of Brubeck’s trailblazing cantata and how music and choral singing continue to be vehicles for probing issues of race and social justice.

Conductor, administrative leader, and scholar Arreon Harley Emerson’s personal and professional development weaves together many different strands into a singular story. As an equity coach and nonprofit strategist, he consults with arts and cultural organizations to center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their work. As the former director of music and operations at the Choir School of Delaware, Harley-Emerson led an organization with a legacy of serving Wilmington’s youth and families that dates back to 1883.

The digital edition of our Fall/Winter 2022 issue of the Voice is here! Read more for a letter from the president & CEO Catherine Dehoney on opportunities guiding the choral field toward being more inclusive, news from our members, insight from choruses on making a first administrative hire, and an interview with Arreon Harley-Emerson about his career trajectory and changing the choral landscape for emerging leaders of color.

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The digital edition of our Summer 2022 issue of the Voice is here! Read more for a letter from the president & CEO Catherine Dehoney reflecting on the 2022 Chorus America Conference,  news from our members, the 2022 Chorus Operations Survey Report, and Singing All of Us: A New Article Series.  

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The digital edition of our 2022 Spring issue of the Voice is here! Read more for feature articles, a letter from chair Brian Newhouse reflecting on the past three years and resilience shown by the choral field, news from our members, and 2022 Chorus America Conference content. 

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At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many choruses scrambled to create new virtual connections in an effort to stay engaged with their singers and supporters. Two years on, as singing in-person returns, choral organizations are making the time to reflect on what they’ve learned and to envision a virtual presence that makes sense for their long-term future.

This is a uniquely challenging time for the choral field, full of both hope and fatigue. For two years the ground has shifted constantly beneath our feet, leaving many feeling drained and apprehensive about the future. Yet this has also been a time of extraordinary creativity and innovation, and the reaffirmation of the value of choral music. We asked seven choral leaders to share how they are caring for their organizations, their singers, and themselves right now.

An artist, arts educator, teaching artist, policymaker, and philanthropist, Alysia Lee has a broad perspective on the arts ecosystem. As the founder and artistic director of Sister Cities Girlchoir and as the inaugural president for the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (a position she began in early 2022), she works to advance access, equity, and decolonization—always with a focus on youth, anti-racism, creativity, and justice.

The digital edition of our 2021 Fall/Winter issue of the Voice is here! Read more for feature articles, a letter from president and CEO Catherine Dehoney about our new Music Education Partnership Grants program, news from our members, and our 2021 Honor Roll of Contributors.

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