Choral Activities
Southern Miss Choral Activities has become a national leader in choral music excellence.
From the placement of outstanding teachers and exceptional performances, Southern
Miss Choral Activities is making a difference and adding to the quality of life in
many communities. Choral Service Awards are available to majors and non-majors.
Why Choose Choral Activities at Southern Miss?
- Southern Miss offers masters and doctoral degrees in choral conducting.
- Job placement in full-time academic and sacred settings is over 95%.
- Assistantships and other financial aid are available to those accepted in the program.
- Podium time is deemed important for conductors and is achieved with several ensembles.
- Our mission includes orchestral opportunities.
Performance Opportunities
Customized travel seminars are a regular part of the agenda for graduate choral conductors
at Southern Miss. Recent interactions include:
- The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC) in Tallinn, faculty members at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki (Finland), the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Choir School at Madeleine Cathedral in Salt Lake City, the Latvian Radio Choir in Riga, and the Saint Petersburg Chamber Choir (Russia).
- In addition, the conducting studio attended Laulupidu (Five-year Estonian Song Celebration) in 2014, also in Tallinn.
- Workshops have focused on conductors, composers, choral singers, repertoire, research, culture, and organizational administration. Multiple face-to-face meetings have occurred with Arvo Pärt, Tõnu Kõrvits, Daniel Reuss, members of the EPCC, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kaljuste, Länsiö Tapani, Matti Höykki, Kaspars Putninš, Galina Grigorjeva, Veljo Tormis, Aarne Saluveer, Mack Wilberg, Gregory Glenn, members of the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir and Nicolai Kornev
Ensembles
- The Hattiesburg Choral Union: Performs choral-orchestral masterworks from the High Baroque to newly-composed, commissioned works. In 2010, the group premiered An American Requiem by Edwin Penhorwood. Part of this premiere included a performance in Carnegie Hall. Other significant performances include Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Saint-Säens Requiem, John Rutter’s Gloria, and the Mozart Coronation Mass. The Union includes ensembles from Southern Miss and the community. To be a community participant, join the Union to rehearse on Monday evenings at the University.
- The Southern Chorale: The premier choral ensemble at Southern Miss, has a long history of excellence. It is comprised primarily of upper-division voice majors and graduate students studying conducting, vocal performance, and music education, but does include outstanding singers from other campus disciplines. he group has appeared numerous times at ACDA conferences, including national conventions in Chicago and Los Angeles. The ensemble maintains an active tour schedule both nationally and internationally. Most recently, The Southern Chorale completed an extensive tour of the West Indies and Jamaica. Other significant endeavors have included a residency in the Loire Valley of France, a featured performance in Carnegie Hall for Katrina relief and one for the partial premiere of An American Requiem by Edwin Penhorwood, and recording projects on Handel’sDixit Dominus, the Messe Pour Double Choeur, and the Sacred Music of resident composer Luigi Zaninelli. The group is currently working on a recording project that will feature the music of Laurel, Mississippi native, James Quitman Mulholland. The Chorale performs the complete spectrum of significant choral literature for a cappella and accompanied chorus. Opportunities to sing with orchestra occur on a regular basis. Rehearsals are held five times a week.
- The Concert Choir: Comprised of approximately 60 voices, is filled with mostly undergraduate music majors and many other talented students from various fields of study. The ensemble performs several concerts in the Hattiesburg region annually and also tours regionally on a yearly basis to high schools. The Concert Choir has been selected by blind audition to perform at the Mississippi American Choral Directors Association/Mississippi Music Educators Association State Conference in both 2010, 2019, and 2022 as well as the Louisiana ACDA Fall Vocal Conference in 2019. The ensemble performs diverse repertoire from various musical periods. Opportunities to sing with orchestra occur on a regular basis. Rehearsals are held five times a week.
- University Treble Chorus
- Tenebrae
- The Southern Chamber Singers: Serves as an elective lab choir for graduate students in choral conducting and provides an opportunity for students to experience choral and vocal music in a chamber setting. It also serves as an opportunity for undergraduate music majors to learn from students seeking advanced conducting degrees. The repertoire is vast and primarily a cappella. This group generally meets for rehearsal two times per week and performs three to four times in the school year.
- Spirit of Southern: A mixed pop a cappella public relations ensemble that performs a wide variety of music from sacred to pop. The students this group range from freshman through graduate students and come from various academic studies. They enjoy performing for campus activities, community functions and also tour frequently for recruiting purposes. Significant performances include frequently singing at the request of the University’s president and performances for such dignitaries as Governor Haley Barbour and members from a South African delegation. They have been honored with an invitation to perform at the Mississippi state conference of the ACDA and NAfME chapters.
- The Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civic Chorale: The group invites community members and Southern Miss students to participate in the Fleming Education Center. The Civic Chorale gives several performances each semester, many of which include chamber orchestral ensembles to accompany this approximately 100-voiced choir. Significant performances include taking part in the Carnegie premieres of The Seven Last Words of Christ by Richard Burchard and An American Requiem by Edwin Penhorwood. Additionally, the ensemble performed a Hurricane Katrina Anniversary concert that included such dignitaries as Governor Haley Barbour and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.
- Oratorio Chorus
The Southern Invitational Choral Conference (SICC)
The annual Southern Invitational Choral Conference (SICC) at Southern Miss provides students the opportunity to take part in intense rehearsals and high-quality performances while meeting fellow musicians from all over the Southeast. Also, at SICC, students had the opportunity to audition for choral scholarships at Southern Miss, and teachers can earn continuing education units (CEUs) by attending various sessions.
The Southern Experience Choral Camp (SoEx)
The Southern Experience Camp (SoEx) at Southern Miss is a non-residential day camp for students departing grade 5 through grade 9. Students have the opportunity to work with a world-class clinician, preparing a full concert for parents and the community on the final day of Camp. Additionally, students will participate in a variety of fun games and activities. Lunch is provided daily.
SICC 2022
September 19-20, 2022
The 19th Annual Southern Invitational Choral Conference at Southern Miss will feature clinicians Jabarie Glass, Kristina Caswell MacMullen, and J. Reese Norris.
Southern Experience 2022
June 13-17, 2022
A choral day camp for students in grades 5-9 held on campus featuring Tammy Carney, clinician.
