Bella Voce Women's Chorus of Vermont
Bella Voce Women's Chorus of Vermont grew from a passing thought in January of 2004 to a performing ensemble of 35 women one year later! With the support of several members of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the encouragement of the VSOC conductor Robert DeCormier, Dawn Willis surveyed singers to ascertain whether the Greater Burlington Area could support another choral ensemble - one devoted to classical music for women's voices. Following a flurry of emails, audition dates were set and arrangements were made for rehearsal and performance sites. The first rehearsal was held March and the inaugural performance was given May 22nd. The chorus includes singers from 4 counties throughout northern Vermont, many of which also sing in a variety of school, church, and community choruses across the region.
Dawn Willis, Artistic Director and Founder of Bella Voce Women’s Chorus, also serves as the Assistant Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from Arizona State University and Masters degrees in Sacred Music and Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University. In 1999, Dr. Willis conducted the New England Symphonic Ensemble and the McMurry University Choirs in a performance of Mozart’s Solemn Vespers at Carnegie Hall. She has also served as a guest conductor for the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra and prepared choruses for regional orchestras in Iowa and Texas. Dr. Willis has served as the Director of Choral Activities at McMurry University and Iowa Wesleyan College, and has conducted the University of Vermont Catamount Singers and Arizona State University Women's Chorus. She has conducted numerous festivals, clinics, and workshops throughout Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Iowa, South Dakota, and Vermont. She has served as the choral director for churches in several denominations and directed numerous collegiate and community musicals, operas, and madrigal dinners. Dawn also composes and arranges sacred and secular choral music and pieces for handbell ensembles.
 |
How Can I Keep from Singing? |
Founded in 2004 by Dr. Dawn Willis, Bella Voce consists of 40 to 45 auditioned singers, performing existing and newly-commissioned sacred and secular works for women's voices. The ensemble is drawn from four counties throughout Vermont, many of whom also sing in a variety of school, church and community choruses across the region. One of the highlights of the last few years for Bella Voce has included several collaborations with Gwyneth Walker. The members have enjoyed working closely with this gifted composer, whose catalog includes over 170 commissioned works, reflecting both serious and light-hearted musical styles. These 17 works are surprising, refreshing, witty, innovative and inspiring. Some favorites are "Women Should be Pedestals," the dramatic "How Can I Keep From Singing," "Gifts From The Sea," the delicate "Mornings Innocent," the a cappella tune "The Name is Changeless," the joyous "Love Is A Rain of Diamonds," the love song "I Will Be Earth," the lovely a cappella song "So Many Angels," "Walk That Valley," "Never Sit Down," the traditional songs "Crossing the Bar," "Peace I Ask of Thee, O River" and the title tune. There is some light accompaniment on most songs. The beautiful liner notes contain all the lyrics. An uplifting treat from Bella Voce and the wonderful composer Gwyneth Walker, that will touch and move you from beginning to end!
Listen to Walk That Valley in Real Audio
| 4235 CD $15.95 |
 |
The Sussex Carol - Corin T. Overland |
Pride of Vermont since their founding by the renowned Dr. Willis, the 40-strong Bella Voce Women's Chorus brings us a bright, ringing Christmas album of 20 songs, some of them familiar and beloved, like "The Sussex Carol," "Wexford Carol," John Rutter's "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day," "A La Nanita Nana," the spirituals "Mary Had A Baby" and "Glory and Honor to the Newborn King;" "Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head," "I Wonder As I Wander," the Christmas medley "Christmas Intrada," Benjamin Britten's "This Little Babe" and Brahms' "Ave Maria." and many of them less familiar to us, like "Masters in this Hall," "O My Dear Heart," Eleanor Daley's "What Sweeter Music," "La Virgen Lava Panales," "The Moon of Wintertime," "A la Ru, A la Me" and Steven Rickards' "Angels Did Sing." Most songs have some light to heavy accompaniment, and the lovely, extensive liner notes have all the lyrics.
Listen to O My Dear Heart in Real Audio
| 4236 CD $15.95 |
Choral - Home | Mens Choral | Womens Choral | Mixed Choirs | Early Music
Childrens Choir | Boys Choirs | Girls Choirs | Choral arrangements | Choral Christmas | Director's resources
African | English | Canadian | Bulgarian | Estonian | Hungarian | Scandinavian | Russian | Latin American
Spirituals | Madrigals | Budget Choral titles | DVDs | Complete choral list
RSS Feed - Choral New Releases
Vocal Jazz | Doo Wop | Contemporary | Barbershop | Christian | Collegiate | World | Choral
Patriotic | The Groups | The Directors | The Vocal Coaches | Choral Development
Arrangements | Vintage Harmony | Christmas | DVDs | Instructional for Singers
The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
RSS - New Releases
Site Map | A Cappella News | Regional Newsgroups | RSS a cappella feeds
To find a specific song on any recording (or to find recordings by group name or CD title),
pick the search method and type the item you are searching for here:
All Rights Reserved All Content, page design, CGI Copyright © United Singers International