ABBA

She is a composer, arranger, artistic director, conductor, author and teacher born in Boston, Massachusetts, who began her compositions from a very early age with her first piece for orchestra written as a high school student.

She took her further education in music at Smith College and went on to Juilliard School of Music where she was a student of Robert Shaw for choral conducting. Her association with Robert Shaw continued for much of her career where she arranged many songs, spirituals, hymns and carols for his various choirs to perform as well as many other national and international ensembles.

Her work as a composer has seen her writing many styles of music that range from string quartets to operas to cantatas and many of her works have come from commissions by North American ensembles that include The Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Chanticleer and the Vancouver Chamber Chorus among others.

As a conductor she has been regularly called to be a lead many choirs throughout North America and she is also a much sought after teacher for master classes and workshops. To this end she was the founder of Melodius Accord, Inc. in 1985 which provides training for composers and conductors, holds workshops and symposiums and puts on choral concerts.

No strange to the recording studio, her work has been heard on countless recordings by various ensembles and she has also worked with the professional chorus Musicians of Melodius Accord to record her own albums. These include Angels and Challengers, The Family Reunion, Listen, Lord, My Love and I, O Sing The Glories and Songs for Eve. Some of the other recordings her work appears on are American Sampler by The Atlanta Singers, Wondrous Love by Chanticleer, Folk Songs by the Choir of Westminster Abbey, Folksongs, Spirituals & Hymns by The Concordia Choir, Christmas from the Heart by The Louisville Chorus, Songs of the Civil War & Stephen Foster Favorites by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Appalachian Sketches by Mark O’Connor, Angels on High, Christmas with the Robert Shaw Chorale, Festival of Carols, Irish Folk Songs, Sea Shanties and Songs of Angels by Robert Shaw, Of Bells and Angels by The Texas Boys Choir, Songs of Our Nation by The Turtle Creek Chorale and Blue Wheat by Dale Warland.

Not content with just sticking to performances and recordings, she has written several acclaimed books that include the publications The Anatomy of Melody and Alice Parker’s Melodious Accord Hymnal. There have also been five videos released which present her work.

Recognised for her contribution to music by many choral societies and guilds, she has also received the Smith College Medal and five honorary doctorates.

Robert Shaw Chamber Singers recordings

Adeste Fidelis (John Frances Wade)

Telarc 80461 (CD: A Rober Shaw Christmas: Angels On High)

Arranger – Alice Parker

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