Alamo City Men’s Chorale unveils 22nd season
QSanAntonio.com, October 4, 2008

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale this week announced that tickets are now available for it’s 22nd season of performances under the baton of Artistic Director Jennifer Whatley. The three concerts are grouped thematically under the banner "A Season of Song."

"The Alamo City Men’s Chorale is very excited to begin a new season of performances with an exciting lineup of music," said ACMC Executive Director Sharon Wallace. "We’re also pleased and proud to have Jennifer Whatley on board as our Artistic Director for her second season."

Following is the list of ACMC concerts with descriptions:

"Do You Hear What I Hear?" December 12 & 14, 2008
Travis Park Methodist Church, 230 E. Travis St., San Antonio
Revel in yesterday’s melody, laugh with renewed delight, and rejuvenate your spirit in the frivolity of audience participation. You will want to bring the whole family for this "most wonderful time of the year" celebration.

"Beat! Beat! Drums!" March 13 & 15, 2008
Travis Park Methodist Church, 230 E. Travis St., San Antonio
A musical salute to American poet Walt Whitman. Whitman’s flight into free verse is echoed in the writings and music of many of today’s artists.

"Lucious, Lusty Latin!" June 19, 2009
Concert location to be announced
In celebration of their 30th anniversary the Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston has invited the Alamo City Men’s Chorale to join voices on this commissioned project of Latin-themed music that weaves through Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the heart of Tejano.

Season brochures and season tickets ($52.50) for the Alamo City Men’s Chorale 22nd season can be obtained by calling 210-495-7464. Season tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper tickets starting next week.

Men’s Chorale sets auditions for new singers
QSanAntonio, August 2, 2008

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale this week announced it will hold auditions on August 19 and 26 for new singers in anticipation of their twenty-second season of performances. The Chorale is emphasizing that those interested in auditioning don’t have to be professional singers but must be able to carry a tune and commit to a firm schedule of rehearsals and performances.

"Singers need not prepare a solo for the friendly and non-threatening fifteen minute audition," says Jennifer Whatley, ACMC’s Artistic Director. "Each person auditioning will be asked to demonstrate the ability to match pitch and to sing back a collection of pitches."

"We look forward to welcoming new singing members to our growing family of performers," says Sharon Wallace, ACMC’s Executive Director. "We’d like to encourage all shower soloists to come and sing onstage with the Chorale where their voices can be heard and appreciated."

Alamo City Men’s Chorale Auditions -- August 19 and 26 at the Radius Building, 106 Auditorium Circle from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Those interested in auditioning should register with Artistic Director Jennifer Whatley by email at: jenniferacmc@sbcglobal.net. For more information about the Alamo City Men’s Chorale go to: ACMC-Texas.org or call 210-495-SING.

Pasta and Tosca a celebration with Italian style
Photos by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio, July 16, 2008

The Alamo City Men's Chorale annual Sizzle fundraiser embraced all things Italian with "Pasta and Tosca" held on July 12 in the lush backyard of a home in the Manor Estates on the city's far Northside. The evening included a menu of Italian food and wine, a silent auction and spontaneous musical performances including a lip-synched number by Leonard Juarez in a red and green outfit with a pasta-inspired headdress. Raffle tickets were sold by shirtless vendors in red checkered skirts.

Men’s Chorale hires new Executive Director
QSanAntonio, July 12, 2008

The Board of Directors of the Alamo City Men’s Chorale has hired Sharon Wallace as their new Executive Director. Wallace will oversee and manage all administrative aspects of the ACMC, including fundraising, marketing, finance, and Board and community relations.

Wallace is a native Texan with a Master of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a long career in the public sector. She has worked in senior positions at state agencies including the Texas Department of Aging and Disability, the Texas Department of Human Services and the Texas Department of Human Resources. Wallace also served as the Director of Library Services for the Red River County Public Library in Clarksville, Texas.

Wallace comes to the Alamo City Men’s Chorale as it begins to plan its twenty-second year of concert performances that begin in December.

"We are looking forward to having Sharon on-board just in time for our next season," says Dr. Bobby J. Jones, President of the ACMC membership. "She brings with her extensive management experience culled from a long and distinguished career. Her background working with government and civic organizations will prove invaluable as the Chorale moves forward into the future."

Photos: ACMC concert filled with toe-tapping rock and roll
QSanAntonio, June 22, 2008
The Alamo City Men’s Chorale finished off their 21st season with a selection of oldies but goodies at the their June 21 "Let’s Go to the Hop!" concert under the direction of Artistic Director Jennifer Whatley.

Men’s Choral concert focuses on music of the 1950’s
QSanAntonio, June 11, 2008

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale will close out its 21st season with a performance dedicated to the music of the 1950’s. The concert, "Let’s Go to the Hop!" under the direction of Jennifer Whatley, ACMC Artistic Director, will offer a popular lineup of "oldies but goodies" from the era of bobby socks and poodle skirts.

"We very excited about our final concert of the season," says ACMC Executive Director Robert Hernandez. "The Chorale has been rehearsing some wonderful music made famous by artists like Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the Comets. It will surely be a swinging and upbeat night of fifties nostalgia."

The evening’s program will include recording artist Lynette Brehm who will perform a Patsy Cline imitation with songs like "She’s Got You" and "The Westward Wind."

Also, back by popular demand are the ACMC Sisters who were so well received at the Chorale’s Christmas concert. The trio includes Dr. Melody Rich, a vocal professor at UTSA; Anne Schelleng, executive director of the Children’s Choir of San Antonio; and Tah-Nee Thompson, a vocal performance major at the University of Tulsa.

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale presents "Let’s Go to the Hop!" at 8:00 p.m. on June 21 at McCallister Auditorium on the San Antonio College campus. Tickets are $20 and are available at brownpapertickets.com/event/32403 or by calling 210-495-SING.

Men’s Chorale to present music by Sondheim and Bernstein
QSanAntonio, February 16, 2008

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale will present the second concert of its "American Album" season with the presentation of "Brilliantly Bernstein, Stunningly Sondheim" on March 15 at McCallister Auditorium.

"We’re very excited to present the work of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein as part of our 21st season of performances," said Robert Hernandez, the Chorale’s Executive Director. "These two composers are American icons and much beloved by millions of music lovers." Hernandez also said that the concert is an official event for the Luminaria Arts Night, the first annual all day and evening celebration of San Antonio’s premiere artists and arts organizations.

Stephen Sondheim is an American stage musical and film composer and lyricist, one of the few to win an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards, multiple Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize. His most famous scores as composer/lyricist include "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Follies," "A Little Night Music," "Sweeney Todd," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Into the Woods," and "Assassins," as well as the lyrics for "West Side Story" and "Gypsy."

Leonard Bernstein was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was the first conductor born and educated in the U.S. to receive world-wide acclaim, and is known for both his conducting of the New York Philharmonic, including the acclaimed Young People's Concerts series, and his compositions, including "West Side Story," "Candide," and "On the Town." He is also well known for his "Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers," commissioned for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and first produced there in 1971.

The Chorale’s concert will include performances students from the Dance Department of San Antonio College and the Alamo City Ensemble Singers.

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale presents "Brilliantly Bernstein, Stunningly Sondheim," on March 15 at 8:00 p.m. at McCallister Auditorium, 1300 San Pedro on the San Antonio College Campus. Tickets are $20 and available online at BrownPaperTickets.com/event/27255 or by calling 210-495-7464.

Photos by Tom Simmons

Photos -- Men's Chorale concert draws large audience
QSanAntonio, December 20, 2007

The Alamo City Men’s Chorale’s holiday concert, "I’ll Be Seeing You," proved a big box office draw bringing over 700 people to the Blue Bubble Ballroom on December 14 and 16. Some of the featured performers included (top row left to right) the ACMC Sisters (Kristin Roach, Melody Rich and Anne Schelleng) and retired Marine Sargent Eric Alva who served as narrator. Brian Asher, Tracy Jones and Ron Watson performed "Juke Box Saturday Night" and Seberino Regalado (bottom row, photo left) sang "I Came Here to Talk for Joe."

Eric Alva to participate in Men’s Chorale concert
QSanAntonio, November 18, 2007

Jennifer Whatley, Artistic Director of the Alamo City Men’s Chorale confirmed this week that retired Marine Sergeant Eric Alva would participate in the group’s holiday concert scheduled for December 14 and 16 at the Blue Bubble Ballroom. During the concert, which will feature music from the 1940s, Alva will serve as narrator, reading letters from soldiers who fought on the front lines of World War II.

In March 2003, Alva, a native of San Antonio, became the first soldier injured in the Iraq War when he stepped on a landmine resulting in the loss of his right leg and part of an index finger. On Feb. 28, 2007, he joined Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., in calling for an end to the government’s "Don’t ask, Don’t Tell" policy. Since then, Alva has been traveling the country as a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign advocating for this cause.

Whatley says that the concept of incorporating letters from soldiers into the Chorale’s concert speaks to the 1940s experience of a nation recovering from the first World War and then suddenly thrust into World War II. The idea of using Alva as the narrator came to her after she saw his photograph on the cover the HRC’s Equality magazine. "He is the perfect fit for this," she says. When approached with the idea, Alva was enthusiastic about participating.

The concert entitled "I’ll Be Seeing You" will take place in a cabaret setting and is described by organizers as "a sentimental journey through the best of swing and Christmas nostalgia from the 1940s." Aside from Alva, the concert will feature the Ron Wilkins Quartet and the boogie woogie stylings of the ACMC Sisters.

The Alamo City Men's Chorale, San Antonio's only GLBT performing arts organization, is celebrating its 21st season of performances. Besides the holiday concert the Chorale will present two more concerts this year. The first, "Brilliantly Bernstein, Stunningly Sondheim" will take place and on March 15. The final concert, "Let’s Go to the Hop" is scheduled for June 21.

Alamo City Men’s Chorale presents "I’ll Be Seeing You," on December 14 at 8:00 p.m. and December 16 at 3:00 p.m. at the Blue Bubble Ballroom, 9315 Broadway. Tickets are $20 each. VIP tickets for the December 14 performance include pre-show cocktail party and preferred seating, are $40 each. Tickets may be purchased by calling 210-495-SING. For more information go to ACMC-Texas.org or Robert.ACMC@gmail.org.