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Choir founder E. Wayne Abercrombie joins Tony Thornton for Celebratory Performance

AMHERST (MA) – On Sunday, November 4 at 4pm, the UMass Amherst Department of Music and Dance presented a special concert titled Retrospective in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the UMass Amherst Chamber Choir, the university’s top choral ensemble. The concert takes place in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, located at 151 Presidents Dr., Amherst MA.  Chamber Choir alumni have been invited back to campus for the performance and to take part in other related social activities during Homecoming Weekend.

To mark the occasion, Director of Choral Studies Dr. Tony Thornton shared the podium with professor emeritus E. Wayne Abercrombie, who founded the Chamber Choir in 1978. Prior to that year, members of the UMass Chorale had the opportunity to take part in the Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Richard du Bois. Building on that early foundation, Abercrombie established the Chamber Choir as a distinct entity with related coursework for both music majors and minors. Abercrombie, who recently turned 80, has also made a substantial gift to the department to establish the Wayne Abercrombie Choral Conducting Gift Fund.

At the November 4 celebration, the Chamber Choir presented works from past notable performances by the ensemble, including Hindemith’s Six Chansons, Thompson’s Choose Something Like a Star, Mulholland’s If Love Should Count You Worthy, and Brahms’ Zigeunerlieder No. 5, 6 and 9.  Alumni join the Chamber Choir for performances of Paulus’ The Road Home, Martin’s arrangement of Great Day, and “Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen” from Brahms’ German Requiem.

Chamber Choir alumni interested in performing can contact Prof. Thornton at tonyt@music.umass.edu and find weekend details and a short pre-registration form here. For returning CC alumni, there will be a rehearsal Saturday morning and a dinner on Saturday evening, and the call time for the Sunday performance will be 2:30pm. Prof. Thornton and former Profs. Abercrombie, Stark & Humphrey will be at the dinner!