Greeley Chorale Altos

Help the Alto section win our competition! 

The Greeley Chorale originated in 1964 as a community chorus, under the direction of Dr. Howard Skinner. Six years later, in 1970, the Chorale merged with the Greeley Concerts Association, as an adjunct of the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1974 it became an independent community choir, and in 1978 The Greeley Chorale was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 

Over the years the Chorale has grown from a 40 voice ensemble in 1964 to more than 100 voices today. During that time, the Chorale has garnered a reputation as one of the finest community choruses in the United States, as evidenced by invitations to perform at World Expo ‘88 in Brisbane, Australia (issued by the US and Australian governments) in 1988; the Vienna International Choral Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival in 1992; World Youth Day in 1993; the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, England (with the Academy of Oxford Orchestra) in 1996; the state of Oklahoma in 1998; Beijing, China in 2001; the Vatican in 2005; the government of Greece in 2009, the Donaghadee Men’s Chorus, Northern Ireland in 2013, and towns of Trunstadt, Germany and Chlumec, Czech Republic, in 2017.

Along the way, the Chorale has also been an integral part of community celebrations such as the downtown Christmas tree lighting, the Weld County “Concert for Peace”, the Hospice Tree of Memories lighting, UNC’s “Concert Under the Stars”, BT Voices for Hospice, City of Greeley Cinco de Mayo celebrations, the Exchange Club’s “Healing Field”, the Union Colony Civic Center 25th Anniversary celebration, and the Greeley Independence Stampede, where the Chorale is perennial performers of the National Anthem. 

In addition to those community activities, the Chorale also established some traditions of its own, such as the “English Madrigal Feast,” with 4 performances every December from 1989-2005; “Pops & Pasta!”, an annual fundraiser that has now evolved into Cabaret & Cabernet; the Greeley Chorale Vocal Music Competition (1994-1996); and the Greeley Chorale/UNC Choral Conducting Scholarship (2014-present). The Chorale also helped create and support the Greeley Children’s Chorale, now an independent organization in its 30th season.