The Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 men's chorus

Choir

A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

 located in Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. With 38 CDs and two commercially produced, feature-length motion picture

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

 documentaries

Documentary film

Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

 in public distribution, it is the most recorded men's chorus in the world.

Founded in February 1980, and currently featuring more than 200 singing members, the Chorale performs a full concert series annually to live audiences in excess of 50,000 at its performance home, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is a concert hall located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas . Ranked one of the world's greatest orchestra halls, it was designed by architect I.M. Pei and acoustician Russell Johnson's Artec Consultants, Inc...

, also home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....

. TCC has several sub-groups: Chamber Chorus, ENCORE! and Strangerettes.

Performance highlights

Performances by the Chorale have included two state, two regional and three national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association

American Choral Directors Association

The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...

 as well as a regional convention of Music Educators National Conference

MENC: The National Association for Music Education

MENC: The National Association for Music Education is an organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education and as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States...

. The Chorale has traveled to Europe, performing sold out concerts in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

, Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, and Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

 as well as two appearances at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

.

The TCC has sung in a command performance for such notables as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

, President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

, George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...

, the inauguration of Texas Governor

Governor of Texas

The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...

, Ann Richards

Ann Richards

Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...

, and in 1996 for the inauguration

Inauguration

An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....

 of the City of Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 Ron Kirk

Ron Kirk

Ronald "Ron" Kirk is the 16th United States Trade Representative, serving in the Obama administration. He served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002; he also ran for the United States Senate in 2002.-Early life and career:...

. These accomplishments were made with one purpose in mind—the enhancement of the musical and cultural life of its audiences through the presentation of male chorus music.

History

The Turtle Creek Chorale was formed in February 1980. At its first rehearsal in the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 39 auditioning members attended. The administrative staff was composed of volunteers. In 1990, the TCC had grown to 150 members and two full-time paid staff. Today, 225 singing members, 25 non-singing associate members, a staff of 15 and a board of 25 directors constitute the TCC. Dallas' Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is the home of its season concerts.

1980s

In 1982, Dr. Richard L. Fleming was announced the TCC Artistic Director and Musical Conductor. The Chorale received its first musical honor by being selected the state winner of the Johnny Mann Great American Choral Festival under his direction.

2000s

On June 29, 2008 the Turtle Creek Chorale had their name launched to the moon as part of the LRO or Lunar Reconnaissance Project "Send your name to the Moon" project, certificate number 1684788.

Leadership: Artistic Director

• 1980: Harry E. Scher
• 1982: Dr. Richard L. Fleming
• 1984: Michael Crawford
• 1987: Dr. Timothy Seelig
• 2007: Dr. Jonathan Palant
• 2011: Trey Jacobs (interim conductor)

Discography

• From the Heart (1990)
• When We No Longer Touch (1991)
• Peace (1991)
• Testament (1992)
• Requiem (1993)
• United We Sing (1994)
• A Roamin' Holiday (1994)
• Everything's Possible (1994, 2001)
• Postcards (1994)
• Let Music Live (1995)
• Family (1995)
• Times of the Day (1995)
• The Gershwin Scrapbook (1996)
• Simply Christmas (1996)
• Celebrate (1997)
• Lifelong Friend (1998)
• Reflections (1997)
• Twisted Turtle Tinsel (1997)
• Best of the Turtle Creek Chorale (1999)
• Psalms (1999)
• Personals (2000)
• Sing for the Cure (2000)
• Song of Wisdom from Old Turtle (2000)
• Turtle Mix (2000)
• Two Worlds with Buddy Shanahan (2001)
• Comfort and Joy (2001)
• Turtle Creek Chorale Recordings Sampler (2001)
• To A Dancing Star (2002)
• A Testament to Freedom (2002)
• One World (2002)
• Celestial (2003)
• Annie's Songs (2004)
• The Holy and The Holly (2004)
• Journey (2004)
• Holiday Memories (2005)
• Songs of Our Nation (2006)
• Serenade (May 2007)
• A Fond Farewell (July 2007)
• Believe (November 2009)

For more information, see Discography at TCC's official website.

Affiliations

• American Choral Directors Association
  American Choral Directors Association
  The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
  
   (ACDA)
• Associated Male Choruses of America, Inc.
• Chorus America
• GALA Choruses
  GALA Choruses
  The Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses is an international association of LGBT choruses founded in 1982. Its goal is to foster artistic and organizational development within its member choruses. The association includes almost 10,000 vocalists in over 100 associated choruses singing as...
  
   (Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses)
• The International Federation of Choral Music
• National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
  National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
  The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
  
  
• City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA)
• Texas Commission on the Arts

Further reading

• Putnam, Jeff & Rattan, Joe. "BREATHE! 25 Years with the Turtle Creek Chorale." First Printing, 2004. Issue ISBN 0-9761661-0-0. Avenue Publishers, Inc.

External links

• Turtle Creek Chorale Official website
• The Power of Harmony official website