Chorus
Chorus
Every year at our competition we come together for awards in the afternoon. This will be the 2nd year for our chorus, and it is a great honor to announce that Dr. John Sinclair will be joining us again this year as our choral conductor!
Dr. John Sinclair, Conductor
Dr. Sinclair is the John M. Tiedtke Professor of Music at Rollins College. He teaches conducting, a variety of other classes as needed and serves as the primary conductor for the Department of Music. He is also celebrating his 32nd season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the renowned Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. He also currently conducts the International Moravian Music Festivals, the Messiah Choral Society and and conducted for the Berkshire Choral Festival and numerous others.
Dr. Sinclair is also a conductor of the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT and has conducted recordings for Warner Brothers, Walt Disney Corporation, the Moravian Music Foundation, and the Bach Festival Society.
Who can sing in the choir?
Anyone is invited to sing in the chorus whether you are competing or not. If you are registered for the competition, the chorus participation is included in your registration. Registration for the chorus and workshops is free, but donations are greatly appreciated and can be made on the application.
A pdf of the music will be emailed to you when you register for the competition or the workshop/chor
When you sign up, I will immediately send you a pdf of the music.
How do I prepare for the chorus?
Download the pdf of the music below. There are four parts (SATB), Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. The easiest way to see what part you should sing is this: Soprano (high range), Alto (lower range ladies voice), Tenor (higher male voice), Bass (lowest male voice). There is a YouTube video below as well as recordings of individual parts that you can use for practice. Please memorize "A Closing Prayer!" We sing this together at the end of our awards ceremony to close out the day. PLEASE PRINT OUT BOTH PIECES AND BRING WITH YOU TO THE COMPETITION! I WILL NOT HAVE EXTRA COPIES.
Chorus Information and FAQ's
- We will have some online zoom rehearsals for those who would like to participate. I will send an email out to announce these online rehearsal times.
- Chorus participation and workshops are INCLUDED in your registration if you are competing.
- Parents and siblings are invited to sing also, especially on A Closing Prayer.
- There will be two rehearsals at the Gaylord Palms on competition day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Unless you are auditioning at that time, you need to attend both rehearsals. This is such a fantastic opportunity to learn from an incredible conductor.
- Do I have to pay the chorus fee if I am not competing? No, but donations are greatly appreciated and can be make on the registration form.
Dr. John Sinclair
Director of Festival Chorus - Dr. John Sinclair
John V. Sinclair enjoys a national reputation as a conductor of choral masterworks while locally being known as one of the hardest-working and in-demand artists of the Central Florida cultural community. In his 32nd season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Festival Society, he continues his imaginative programming, creative interpretations, and expressive conducting style. He has broadened the society’s musical offerings by integrating masterworks of other great classical and contemporary composers into the repertoire of the Society while perpetuating his reputation as a scholarly interpreter of J.S. Bach’s music. As a career educator, Sinclair keeps the Society’s educational focus vital by providing a broad range of musical programs and experiences for students of all ages.
Dr. Sinclair, known as a master teacher, is Director of Music at Rollins College and holds the John M. Tiedtke Endowed Chair. He has received many awards during his tenure, including the Sidney Algernon Sullivan Citizen Award, Arthur Vining Davis Fellowship, Hugh and Jeannette McKean Faculty Grant, William E. Barden Distinguished Teaching Award, Cornell Distinguished Service Award, McKean Award for Outstanding Teaching, and Lifetime Achievement Award, and he has twice been named the “Outstanding Music Educator of the Year” by United Arts of Central Florida. The Florida International Magazine selected him as one of the state’s “Power Players in the Arts,” and he is listed as one of Winter Park Magazine’s “Most Influential People in Winter Park.”
As a conductor who is equally adept at directing choral and orchestral music, Dr. Sinclair has been referred to as Central Florida’s “resident conductor.” In addition to Rollins College and the Bach Festival Society, he is conductor of the International Moravian Music Festivals and Orlando’s Messiah Choral Society, and he has to his credit nearly 900 performances of Epcot’s Candlelight Processional. He is also a frequent conductor for Berkshire Choral International and Orlando Ballet performances. Dr. Sinclair has made hundreds of appearances as conductor, clinician, and lecturer throughout the United States and around the world. The Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra have achieved international recognition under his leadership by touring in Europe, producing nationally released CDs, and performing with the London Symphony during their Florida residencies.
Dr. Sinclair holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music. His undergraduate school, William Jewell College, honored him with its most prestigious Citation for Achievement. In addition to editing and interpreting historical choral works, he authored an anecdotal book entitled Falling Off the Podium, and Other Life Lessons. The Wall Street Journal’s arts critic Terry Teachout wrote, “John is a gifted conductor, a great educator, and the best of all possible colleagues.” And for more than three decades, John Sinclair has shared his talent and dedication to musical excellence with the Central Florida community and beyond.
