THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 4, 1996 TAG: 9608310164
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 85 lines
A familiar voice- a collection of voices, actually - will be heard again thisseason but with a new name.
The McCullough Chorale, Virginia's only professional choral ensemble, named for its founder and first and only conductor, Donald McCullough, is now the Virginia Chorale. McCullough relinquished his post last spring, to take over the Paul Hill Chorale, in Washington.
To the relief of area choral music lovers, however, the renamed Chorale plans a full 1996-97 season.
``When the news came that Don was leaving, there was a collective desire that the group not fold,'' recalled soprano Billye Brown Youmans of Chesapeake, who joined the ensemble at the start of the 1994 season. ``Several people, not any one person, became really involved. The work to keep the group going has been a tremendous team effort.''
A search for a new permanent conductor, conducted jointly with the Virginia Symphony, where McCullough was chorusmaster of the symphony chorus, is under way. For the coming season, three guest conductors will lead the Chorale.
The first concert program will be under the baton of internationally acclaimed choral conductor Robert Page. The second will be led by Dr. John Gunthmiller, member of the music faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University and conductor of the Richmond Symphony Chorus. The guest conductor for the third concert is Dale Warland, the conductor and founder of the highly regarded Dale Warland Singers.
The Chorale was founded in 1984 as Norfolk Pro Musica, dedicated to the performance of early music, from the Baroque and Renaissance periods. Over the years, to provide its singers with greater musical opportunities while increasing the audience base, the repertoire was expanded to include works from other periods, up to the present.
In 1989, the name was changed to Virginia Pro Musica. In 1994, the ensemble became known as the McCullough Chorale.
Don Willhoite has been there since the beginning. One of two male altos, he is the only original member still in the group.
``I had done some `little theater,' '' he recalls. ``When my wife became pregnant, I gave it up. I had heard this group was starting up and wanted to keep on singing. I think I did `The Star-Spangled Banner' for an audition piece. I didn't even know Don (McCullough). It was very informal then. But it became evident early on that we had something good. The blend was there.
``They were very humble beginnings. There was no budget. Each singer paid 10 or 20 dollars to buy the music. At concerts, the tenors would pass the plate. I guess they thought the tenors looked more pitiful.''
The group has come a long way since those early days. In addition to the 24 voices, there is a volunteer board of approximately 20 people and an administrative manager with an office in Norfolk's First Presbyterian Church. The regular season's three concert programs are each performed twice. The singers also are paid.
Despite the recent changes, good will continues to permeate the organization.
``It is a goal of the board to maintain singers at their current pay scales, which have been in effect for the past two or three seasons,'' Youmans explained. ``The singers agreed to take a pay cut, and did, but the board said, `That is not acceptable to us.' ''
The employment of paid singers gives the ensemble its professional status, but its accomplishments earn it its reputation. In addition to receiving critical acclaim, the Chorale has been heard on National Public Radio's ``The First Art'' and ``Performance Today,'' both broadcast nationally. The group has performed in England and released a compact disc recording, distributed to area music stores and sold at the Chorale's concerts.
Many of its singers are employed in music and music education. Willhoite is choir director at Court Street Baptist Church, in Portsmouth. Youmans is on the music faculty of Virginia Wesleyan College, director of music for Great Bridge Presbyterian Church and a voice instructor. Both perform individually as professional singers.
``We're excited about the future,'' said Chuck Spence, the Chorale's vice president of development. ``The support we've gotten since Don announced he was leaving has been wonderful. We decided we wanted to go ahead with the season. Subscriptions have been coming in all along, as well as contributions.'' MEMO: Ticket information is available by calling the Virginia Chorale
office at 627-8375. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Billye Brown Youmans, a soprano from Chesapeake, and Don Willhoite,
an alto from Chesapeake, are members of the Virginia Chorale. by CNB