Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MAPLETON — The Mapleton Chorale is arguably Utah’s preeminent community choir. They have been performing concerts at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square and at other events around the state for several years.
After their annual Christmas concert at Assembly Hall in December, one of the hosts of the Assembly Hall said, “I’ve been a host here for three years. No choir that performs here has topped the Mapleton Chorale.”
With continuous endorsements like these, the chorale has received numerous invitations to audition for a concert at Carnegie Hall. Being a self-funded group, it initially turned down all the invitations due to the immense expense in sending a large choir to New York City. Finally, members received an invitation they couldn’t refuse — an offer to participate in a 10th anniversary memorial concert honoring those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. They auditioned and were immediately accepted.
After their annual Christmas concert at Assembly Hall in December, one of the hosts of the Assembly Hall said, "I've been a host here for three years. No choir that performs here has topped the Mapleton Chorale."
The trip took two years of planning for the chorale to pull off. They had to raise $150,000 and make sure the members could get adequate time off from work for the trip. Much of the money was acquired through fundraising efforts led by singer Ken Nielson.
“Ken and his wife were instrumental in putting some of these fundraising efforts together,” choir director Cory Mendenhall said.
“It was the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Nielson. “It was exhausting and it took a lot of work and preparation to get there but, man, did we have a good time.”
Unfortunately, Carnegie Hall underwent interior renovations this summer and the memorial concert was moved to Lincoln Center where the chorale performed instead. Upon returning from their trip to New York, members got right to work getting ready for its winter concerts.
“It’s a significant investment on the part of the singers,” said Mendenhall. “Not only do they have to audition to get into the chorale, they have to pay an annual tuition and they have to attend rehearsal.” The Mapleton Chorale website indicates singers may not miss more than three rehearsals in one season and are required to participate in all performances unless excused by the director.
That might seem excessive for a community chorale, but according to Mendenhall, there are standards the chorale must meet in order to achieve its goals and ideas of success. For example, when the chorale was founded in 1994, it was a come-one, come-all affair. In order to meet quality goals, however, the chorale had to switch to an audition-based format three years ago. As a result, some singers that had been chorale members since inception were no longer able to perform with the group.
“It was a difficult and painful transition for us,” said Mendenhall. “But it allowed us to restate our goals and path of success. The members at that time that didn’t pass auditions are still huge supporters of us and attend many of our events and fundraising activities. We’re grateful for them and we owe them a lot.”
The chorale now has 109 members and prospective members are put on a waiting list to audition.
The singers in the group feel a deep sense of commitment to the chorale and kinship with the other singers, according to Mendenhall. The singers gladly accept the financial and time burdens imposed on them in order to be a member of the chorale.
“For singers in this group, it is basically like a second job, except they don’t get paid,” laughs Mendenhall. When asked about his own time commitment to get his group ready just before a performance, he said, “I’m not really sure. I know that it’s enough to annoy my wife. She’ll always ask me the day after a rehearsal what time I got home. I tell her, ‘That’s classified.’
For singers in this group, it is basically like a second job, except they don't get paid.
–- Cory Mendenhall, choir director
"We had rehearsal last night and I left,” he pauses to think. “I left this morning,” he laughs again. “I’m very grateful to my wonderful wife for all her support in my musical endeavors.”
Mendenhall earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from BYU and has taught at Provo and Maple Mountain high schools. His high school choirs have received numerous invitations to perform at various locations, including at Carnegie Hall in March 2009, where his Provo High Chamber Singers received a standing ovation as the featured choir. Mendenhall is also an organist at the Missionary Training Center for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mapleton Chorale’s winter series is over and won’t resume performing until the spring. The group's concert and performance dates are listed at mapletonchorale.org.
