The Chapel Choir

May 2009 Tour of South Africa

A dream comes true...the Hope College Chapel Choir has been presented with a thrilling opportunity to visit South Africa-land of vibrant beauty, exotic wildlife, and a mosaic of cultures. They will experience cosmopolitan cities and quaint villages, track the "Big Five" in Pilanesburg National Park and witness the history-making changes in post-Apartheid South Africa. With faithful voices raised in song, the choir will build bridges between cultures and communities. In the process, they will be transformed by interaction with each other and their audiences.

2009 Itinerary of Concerts

HOPE COLLEGE CHAPEL CHOIR

The Hope Chapel Choir, founded in 1938, has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada, and has traveled abroad on seven occasions.  The choir performs with the Hope College Symphonette and College Chorus in the annual Hope College Christmas Vespers program, broadcast throughout the United States on PBS Television and National Public Radio.  The choir has appeared on the televised Hour of Power from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, and has sung for the Easterdawn services at Radio City Music Hall, New York.  In March of 2003, the Chapel Choir was invited to sing at the National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

The 42 members of this year’s choir come from a cross-section of academic disciplines.  While many are music majors, others specialize in biology, business administration, computer science, religion, theatre, chemistry, English literature, and mathematics.  Regardless of discipline, each member is highly dedicated to carrying on the fine tradition of choral artistry that has been the Chapel Choir’s for many years.

The choir wears distinctive robes designed by the world-famous architect Charles Eames and his wife, Ray Eames, a designer of the fabrics related to her husband's works. The robes were first worn by choir in 1960. The basic white of the robe, cut in circular pattern, denotes purity of tone and faith. The horizontal black bars represent the musical staff, and the occasional bars, grace notes. The light blue lining symbolizes unity. Tonal gradations of color deepen as the voices deepen: yellow for sopranos; orange for altos; red for tenors;and purple for basses.

Director Brad Richmond

Brad Richmond is in his eleventh year as Director of Choral Activities at Hope College, where he teaches conducting and voice, and directs the Chapel Choir, College Chorus and Collegium Musicum.  Prior to this, he served as Director of Choirs at Southeastern Louisiana University.  His presentation of Bach's B Minor Mass with Southeastern's Concert Choir and Orchestra won the Gambit Classical Arts Award for the best choral performance of 1998 in the New Orleans area and the surrounding region.

A former Canada Council for the Arts Conducting Award winner, Dr. Richmond has toured with choirs throughout the United States, Canada, England, Austria, France, Italy, Hungry and the Czech Republic.  During summers from 1995 to 2000 he conducted the high school choral ensembles at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Traverse City, Michigan.