VOICES IN THE OAKS CHORALE
Sponsored by the Oracle Piano Society, the Voices in the Oaks Chorale is a community chorus, made up of singers from the Oracle/Oro Valley/Tucson area. We are a small, non-auditioned chorus of 20 – 30 singers.
Our location in the high desert town of Oracle, Arizona is perfect for any singer who wants a quality choral experience, but is tired of fighting traffic to drive to rehearsal in downtown Tucson. Our venue, the Oracle Center for the Arts is only a 30 minute drive from Oro Valley!
Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 6-8 pm at:
Oracle Center for the Arts
700 E Kingston St
Oracle, AZ 85623
Our first rehearsal of the 2023-2024 Season is August 24 at 6 pm. This first two rehearsals are free to participants. It will be a time to reconnect with past singers, and for new singers to try us out. Please invite anyone who you think might be interested.
To register online for the Fall season, click here: https://form.jotform.com/230034500016132
ADA Accessibility:
If you are interested in becoming a Voices in the Oaks participant and require ADA accommodations, please complete the form below.
Please contact ADA Coordinator, Bridget Cook at ada@oraclepianosociety.org if you have ADA related questions.
Voices in the Oaks Accompanist – Position Open
The Accompanist for Voices in the Oaks Chorale is now open. If you are an experienced choral accompanist and would like to apply, contact voices@oraclepianosociety.org for more details.
Concert Schedule 2023-2024 Season:
As more information is available regarding concert programs, it will be posted here.
Fall Concert: November 12 at 3 pm at Oracle Center for the Arts
Messiah Sing Along: Sunday December 17 at 3 pm at Oracle Center for the Arts
Messiah Sing Along: Date and time to be added at Saddlebrooke Ranch Sol Ballroom.
Spring Concert: April 21, 2024 at 3pm at Oracle Center for the Arts
Choral Director
Meg Palermo is the new Choral Director for the Voices of the Oaks Chorale in Oracle, AZ. Meg conducts the Treble Glee Choir at the University of Arizona, where she is also a DMA student in Choral Conducting. She has been teaching and directing choirs since 2002 at high schools in Las Vegas, New Jersey, Gilbert, and Phoenix. Most recently, she was the choir director at Desert Vista High School from 2015 to 2023, where she built a large choral community, directed 6 choirs, and led a nationally-recognized choir program.
Meg has adjudicated festivals in New Jersey, Laughlin, Paradise Valley, and will be a clinician for the AMEA fall festival in Tucson this fall. She has also led music in various churches, currently serving as the music director at Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ. In addition, she has been directing the music for musical theater productions since 2002, and also has had a private studio for many years, where she teaches piano and voice.
Meg was born and raised in Connecticut. She earned her MM in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ, and her BM in Music Education (Choral Vocal, piano performance minor) from the University of Delaware. She currently resides part-time in Tucson, and part-time in Ahwatukee with her blended family, and her 2 children, Tessa and Will.
VOICES IN THE OAKS CHORALE
The Voices in the Oaks Chorale is a community chorus, comprised of singers from the surrounding Tucson area. The Chorus is not auditioned. All are welcome to join us. The only requirements are a love of singing, the dedication to attend rehearsals and to learn the music, and to perform to your best ability. The Chorale presents two concerts per season plus a Messiah Sing Along in December.
History:
In February of 2016, Mary Huebner founded the Voices in the Oaks Chorale to bring a choral music component to the Oracle Piano Society. The purpose was to bring enjoyment of vocal music to anyone who wanted to participate, and to enhance appreciation for music in particular. The chorus has created a chorale community that grows in number and musicianship with each concert presented! Mary directed the chorus until March 2019 when she stepped down from the conductor's box and stepped up on the risers doing what she loves; to sing.
Past Directors:
2016-2019: Mary Huebner
2019-2020: Donte' Alexander Ford
2020-2021: Luke Diamond
2021-2023: Mirae Lee
Past Performances:
May 2016 Songs of the British Isles
Nov 2016 American Folk Songs
Mar 2017 Classic Broadway
Nov 2017 Veterans Day Salute
Dec 2017 GF Handel, Messiah Sing Along
May 2018 PDQ Bach, Oedipus Tex
Dec 2018 GF Handel, Messiah Sing Along
Mar 2019 St. Paddy’s Day Concert
Nov 2019 Tribute to Veterans
May 2021 Connected (a virtual concert)
Nov 2021 R-E-C-O-N-N-E-C-T-E-D
Dec 2021 Handel, Messiah Sing Along
Apr 2022 Songs and Sonnets of William Shakespeare
Nov 2022 Living with Nature and Music: The Summer is Gone
Dec 2022 Handel, Messiah Sing Along
Apr 2023 Vivaldi, Gloria and American Composers
Membership:
Anyone who loves to sing may join the Chorale!
Participation fee is $60 and helps cover music, director, and accompanist fees.
A. Subset Photography
The Chorale performs PDQ Bach’s hilarious oratorio “Oedipus Tex” in Spring 2018.
America The Beautiful with Leia Wasbotten, soloist.