With over 150 singing members, the Chorale presents a full subscription concert series performing annually to live audiences in excess of 50,000. All members of the Chorale are dues paying volunteers who donate over 100,000 hours to rehearsals, service projects and as many as 50 benefit performances annually. The TCC currently has four sub groups: Chamber Chorus; ENCORE!; New Texas Symphony Orchestra; and the Turtle Creek Strangerettes, a precision dance team.
The Chorale currently has 36 CDs in addition to a variety of DVDs in its library. Performances by the Chorale have included two state, two regional and three national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association as well as a regional convention of Music Educators National Conference. The Chorale has traveled to Europe, performing sold out concerts in Barcelona, Berlin and Prague; as well as two appearances a Carnegie Hall. In 2010, the Chorale will return to Spain again for a week long tour.
HISTORY
The Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) is an all male chorus in Dallas. Founded in 1980, the Chorale has over 200 members that volunteer more than 100,000 hours annually to rehearsals and service projects for those in their communities. The TCC has released 38 CDs featuring their musical talent and was the subject of an award-winning documentary in 2005 titled The Power of Harmony.
The TCC performs 4 subscription series concerts including a bonus concert in the fall. The Chorale’s smaller groups, Chamber Chorus, Encore, New Texas Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) and the Strangerettes consist of core TCC members.
On June 24, 1980, the TCC performed for the first time at Southern Methodist University’s Caruth Auditorium with 83 members. Harry E. Scher was the Chorale’s first Artistic Director, and Julian V. C. Reed was the first Principal Accompanist. To Thee We Turn composed by Johan Sebastian Bach was the very first song perform by the TCC. The concert consisted of “Americana Music” and was simply titled “Turtle Creek Chorale in Concert.”
For many years, the Chorale performed in celebration of the Holidays at Thanksgiving Square located in the heart of downtown Dallas. Thanksgiving Square was designed to bring focus to world peace and thanksgiving. The Chapel of Thanksgiving serves as a “spiral of life” symbol. The cover of the TCC’s Psalms CD displays the beautiful spiral. The room provides an incredible acoustic sound and an intimate setting for choral performance.
In 1982, the TCC experienced its first change in musical leadership. Dr. Richard L. Fleming became the Chorale’s second Artistic Director and Musical Conductor. Under his direction, the TCC earned its first musical honor as State and Regional winners at the Johnny Mann Great American Choral Festival. In addition, the Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs selected the Chorale to participate in the city’s ArtPicks! program which is still active today. It showcases various arts organizations based in the City of Dallas.
Michael Crawford was appointed the new Musical Conductor in 1984. He is remembered for initiating the TCC’s performance “tuxedo” attire at the Tux Deluxe concert
Dr. Timothy Seelig assumed the role of Artistic Director in 1987. For the next 20 years, his leadership, vision and talent brought tremendous growth in the Chorale’s quality of music, its size and recognition in Arts communities around the globe. Perhaps, his greatest gift is his infectious humor. The Chorale and its audiences grew to respect that humor and expect the highest musicianship not only from the Aritistic Director, but its members as well.
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center became the TCC’s home in 1989. October 22 was a very special day for the TCC when Mayor of Dallas, Annette Strauss, proclaimed the day as “Turtle Creek Chorale Day,” and the Chorale performed to its first SOLD OUT audience at the Meyerson.
In 1990, FROM THE HEART was released as the first TCC recording. Chorus! Magazine voted this recording “Best Choral Recording” of 1990.
The well-known classical label, Reference Recordings, released TESTAMENT. It was a HUGE success for the Chorale as every major trade publication both in the U.S. and abroad gave this CD rave reviews.
In 1993, the Chorale made its Carnegie Hall debut singing John Rutter’s REQUIEM. The music was recorded at the Dallas’ Meyerson Symphony Center by Reference Recordings and became the TCC’s most successful recording. The CD reached the number 20 position on Billboard’s Classical Album chart.
TCC performed by invitation at the national convention of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA). This invitation was monumental because it was the first time ACDA selected a member of the GALA Chorus Association to perform.
AFTER GOODBYE: An AIDS Story produced by Ginny Martin was broadcast on PBS in 1994. The following year, the one hour documentary chronicling the stages of grief as seen through the eyes of Chorale members and their families won an Emmy Award for producer, Ginny Martin.
In 1995, the Chorale toured 3 cities in Europe. The Chorale performed at the Santes Creus Music Festival in Barcelonia, Spain. In Berlin, Germany, the Hochschule Hall hosted the Chorale’s performance. The neoclassical Rudolfinum Hall which is home to the Czech Philharmonic and considered the most prestigious hall in Prague, Czech Republic was the location for closing night of the tour. The event in Prague was the first AIDS benefit to occur in the Czech Republic.
The Chorale was invited to perform again for the American Choral Director’s Association (ADCA) national conventions in San Diego, CA (1997) and in Los Angeles, CA (2005).
In 2007, Dr. Jonathan Palant assumed the position of Artistic Director for Turtle Creek Chorale. Under his baton, the Chorale has enjoyed some notable achievements. TCC has commissioned and premiered new works, including Our Better Angels, composed by Andrea Clearfield with texts by Rev. Robert Espindola; and performed the Texas premier of Night Passage, a one-act opera based on the life of Oscar Wilde. TCC performed with the United States Army Chorus, the first GALA Choruses affiliated ensemble to perform with a military choir. And, the Chorale performed for the largest single audience in our history: The Madrid Pride Parade and Celebration, with over 1 million persons in attendance. Dr. Palant continued TCC’s tradition of reaching out to those in need by conceiving and presenting Voices for Haiti. The concert event included more than one dozen groups or individual performers and raised over $17,000 dollars that benefited the people of Haiti through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.
In 2010, Turtle Creek Chorale returned to Europe on tour with performances in Madrid, Seville and Barcelona. A highlight of the tour included a performance for over 1 million spectators and participates in the Madrid Pride Parade, the largest Pride celebration in Europe.
Awards presented to the Turtle Creek Chorale include the Crystal Hope Award, the Peace Center Award, Alan Ross Freedom Parad Parade President’s Trophy, Best Musical Performance from the Dallas Observer and the 500 Inc. Ken Bryant Visionary Award.
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