Music Ensembles > Choir

A Cappella Choir

Dr. Terry Barham, Director

ESU's premiere choral ensemble is comprised of 38-44 auditioned singers from all fields of study. The music performed consists of a wide variety of choral music from all historical eras and many cultures. In May, 2010, the choir will tour England, singing concerts at St. Paul Cathedral and St. James Piccadilly Church in London, among other venues.  In addition, the choir has been invited, through competitive auditions, to sing at the Kansas Music Educators Association State Convention, February 25, 2010, at the Century II Convention Center, Wichita.

Formed in 1975, A Cappella Choir toured Switzerland, Austria, and Italy in 1978. In 1979, the choir was awarded first prize, the Silver Medal, at an international choral festival in Mexico City. The choir was chosen by Marcel Couraud to perform as laboratory choir for the Second International Summer Course for Latin-Mediterranean Polyphony in Molfetta, Italy in 1982.

A Cappella Choir has performed for the Southwestern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (1980) and the Kansas Music Educators Convention (1985, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2003, and 2008).  In 2008, the choir sang at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City among other venues.  International tours include England, France, and Germany (1989), Austria and Czechoslovakia (1992), Spain and France (1996), Denmark and Sweden (2001), and Italy, Switzerland and Austria (2006). In the summer of 1998, the choir sang a Brahms program in Carnegie Hall, New York City, under the esteemed German conductor, Helmut Rilling.

A Cappella Choir members host a High School Choral Leadership Workshop each fall and a Madrigal and Small Ensemble Choral Festival and a High School Invitational Choral Festival in the spring.

Conductor of the choir since 1987, Dr. Terry Barham is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Emporia State. He has conducted honor and festival choirs in 20 states and is author/co-author of two books on the boy’s changing voice.  He was the recipient of the 2007 Harry Robert Wilson Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Choral Art, given by the Kansas chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.  Barham serves on the Editorial Board of The Choral Journal and is editor of ChorTeach, ACDA’s e-magazine.  He’s also listed in Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who among America's Teachers, and Who's Who in America. In 2001, he was one of four recipients of the Emporia Chamber of Commerce Golden Apple Award for service to community and for teaching excellence.

A Cappella Choir webpage

A Cappella Choir's Europe Tours

Community Chorus

Dr. Terry Barham, conductor

Composed of community and university members, the Community Chorus regularly rehearses and performance choral works from all musical eras.  The ESU Community Chorus has been featured in the Madison Concert Series.

The Community Chorus rehearses on Monday nights from 7 to 9 in BH 132.

Madrigal  Singers

Dr. Terry Barham, conductor

The ESU Madrigal Singers are a vocal chamber ensemble which specializes in performing both secular and sacred music from the Renaissance Period.  This group of 12 to 16 singers is selected through an audition just before the beginning of the Fall semester.  Every year the ESU Madrigal Singers perform at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs, KS and are also featured in the Madrigal Dinner sponsored by the ESU A Cappella Choir every November.  This course meets for 2 to 3 hours a week and is taken for one hour of credit during the Fall semester.  For any questions regarding auditions and performances for this ensemble, please contact Dr. Terry Barham.

Last Updated July 31, 2009