University Chorale

Directed by Dr. Tony Cunha, the University Chorale is an auditioned SATB touring choir, specializing in shorter choral pieces. Approximately forty members are chosen by audition each August to function for the entire academic year. The Chorale tours in the eastern United States each spring and also makes an overseas tour about every three or four years.

Choir Competition in Italy - March 2008

The Chorale has been invited to compete in an International Choir Festival in Verona, Italy, in March 2008.  This will be the first time an ensemble from the Campbellsville University School of Music has competed on an international level.  The Chorale will be one of only a handful of American choirs in the competition in which over 30 choirs from around the world are entered.  The School of Music is thrilled and honored by this opportunity to enhance the reputation of Campbellsville University and the fine people of Campbellsville, Ky.

The Chorale will depart the U.S. on March 24 and arrive in Milan, Italy, the next day.  After the bus ride to Verona, they will begin rehearsing for the competition.  During their stay in Verona, they will present a number of joint Friendship Concerts with choirs from around the world, performing in various concert halls and schools.  The Chorale will also make day trips to Venice and Florence to visit sites of interest to all musicians -- churches where Vivaldi and Puccini played, La Scala Opera, La Fenice Opera House, and many more.  They will even perform in San Croce, one of the most famous churches in Florence.  The competition will conclude on March 30 when the Chorale hopes to bring home the gold!

If you would like to make a gift to support the University Chorale's trip to Italy, please contact Dr. Frieda Gebert at (270) 789-5193 or by email at fegebert at campbellsville.edu.

Chorale & Handbells tour Kentucky in October 2007

The Campbellsville University Chorale, directed by Dr. Frieda Gebert, and Handbell Choir, directed by Mrs. Nevalyn Price Moore, performed throughout Kentucky during its Fall Tour, October 21-24, 2007.  Since the Chorale will be in Italy during Spring Break (see article on page 2), this will be the only joint tour the ensembles make this year. Together, the choirs performed for literally thousands of people in six Kentucky high schools and four Baptist churches.

Each concert on the tour was planned to visit CU music alums that Mrs. Moore knew well, many of whom had played in the Handbell Choir under her direction in the past. The tour started at First Baptist Church of Madisonville and ended its first day with a performance at Immanuel Baptist Church in Paducah.   The ensembles performed at least two concerts a day, recruiting and performing at Lone Oak High School (Paducah), Heath High School (Paducah), North Hopkins High School (Madisonville), Daviess County High School (Owensboro) and Larue County High School (Hodgenville). At night, the choirs performed for enthusiastic audiences at Marion Baptist Church in Marion and First Baptist in Hodgenville.

In addition to the two large ensembles, two smaller groups performed in each concert: The new Handbell Ensemble, directed by Rebecca Logan, and the University Chamber Choir, conducted by Dr. Gebert.

The tour ended with a great Home Concert where Mrs. Moore was presented with a Christmas ornament of the Peanuts Gang playing handbells. She loved it – and we love her!  Mrs. Moore is retiring at the end of the academic year so this was her last tour with these groups.

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Updated 07/28/2008