Members of the BYU A Cappella Choir who sang under the direction of Ralph Woodward are invited to the fourth concert reunion in August. Rehearsals will begin the evening of Aug. 17, 1998, in Provo and will continue the next evening. On Aug. 19, the choir alumni will have a final rehearsal, perform a concert in the Provo Tabernacle, and enjoy a gala reception.
Hundreds of choir members have attended each of the previous reunions, creating a remarkable choral experience for its audiences–and the choir members.
The concert was scheduled to complement BYU’s Education Week. Alumni can enjoy the popular week while singing with colleagues and celebrating Woodward’s 80th birthday with him.
“During the past year, several people have encouraged us to have another of these precious concerts,” said Woodward. “So here we go, and I am as excited as ever.” Woodward says he’s in better health than he has been for several years and, even approaching age 80, doesn’t get tired conducting.
Registered members of the reunion will receive the music well in advance with rehearsal notes from Woodward. Each known alum of the choir should receive a direct-mail invitation in March, which will have the final costs of the reunion.
The choir will sing a range of music from pieces such as “O Lord God” by Tschesnokoff and “Nicolette” by Ravel to Hebrew and American folk songs. Also, several pieces by noted LDS composers Robert Cundick, Merrill Bradshaw, Mack Wilberg, and Murray Boren are included.
“The material I’ve selected includes many of the favorites of the alumni and has a good variety,” said Woodward.
In keeping with the latest technologies, reunion organizers have established an e-mail listserve, a Web page, and an e-mail address so choir members can keep up-to-date, correspond, and make connections with old friends. Seehttps://advance.byu.edu/acappella for information on how to use this technology. Also, choir alumni can send e-mail to acappella@byu.edu with their questions or comments.