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A Short History of VOICES
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Origins |
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VOICES was founded in 1987 by a group of musicians and educators including Lynne Ransom, Louise Schiller, Nancy Plum, Anne Ackley, Forrest Brower, David Kowalski and others. The purpose, then and now, was to provide outstanding performances of new and classic music and to interest children in composing and singing. For the first five years VOICES sponsored two types of programs—performances by a twelve-member professional ensemble and educational programs for children. The ensemble worked often with the Composers Guild of New Jersey and presented unique theme concerts. The highly developed pitch skills of the professional singers led to expressive performances of many new works each year. At the height of the educational programming, VOICES offered the following programs for children and teenagers:
and a work commissioned for the fifth anniversary year, Missy Mouse and the Great Lord Frog: A Most Unusual Wedding, a work for four singers and pitch pipe by Gordon Myers. Funding from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation of $45,000 over a three year period made the educational programs possible. Important concerts during the first five years included:
Board members whose help was invaluable during the early years included John Michaels, Martha Maletta, Patricia Mahar, George Hyde, Robert J. Levine, Ruth Baggitt, Forrest Brower, Linda Curtin, Anne R. Fabbri, Linda R. Gardner, Nancy Johnston, Frank Lewin, Nancy Plum, Peggy Sica, John Yeoman, David Funck, William Hight and Christina Klotz. |