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2024 ACDA Northwestern Region Conference January 24-27, 2024 Spokane, Washington

Performing Choirs
P er f orming C hoirs

Bellevue Presbyterian Church Boise State University
Sanctuary Chorus Meistersingers

The Bellevue Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Cho- The Meistersingers are Boise State’s premier choral
rus is in residence from September to June and is the ensemble and represent the finest in choral excellence
primary worship ensemble for Sanctuary services. The at Boise State. Membership is open to all Boise State
eighty+-member choir encompasses varying levels of students with a passion for quality choral literature.
musical abilities including teachers, students, instru- This auditioned group performs music from all histori-
mentalists, and Seattle Opera chorus members. In ad- cal periods and various nationalities. In addition, the
dition to weekly worship, the choir presents choral-or- Meistersingers perform three to four times a year, in-
chestral masterworks and newly commissioned pieces. cluding regional/national tours and at the annual Boi-
The choir partners with local community ensembles se State Holiday Concert. Past international tours in-
and professional musicians in worship through music clude France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
performances and Christmas Eve services. They also
serve as mentors and role models for the church’s kids C. Michael Porter is director of choral
choir program totaling 150 choristers. activities at Boise State University, where
he conductors Meistersingers and Vox
Brennan Michaels is director of worship Angelis, teaches choral conducting, and
at Bellevue Presbyterian Church. In ad- choral literature. Porter is also the artistic
dition to planning and leading in wor- director of Critical Mass Vocal Artists—Idaho’s semi-
ship, Michaels oversees the music min- professional chamber choir—and has conducted choirs
istry comprising 250 student and adult in Uruguay, South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands,
musicians. He conducts the Sanctuary Chorus, Pneu- and France. He is also an editorial board member for
ma, Bel Canto, and the Festival Orchestra and Brass. the Choral Journal and associate editor for the NCCO
Prior to this appointment, Michaels taught in schools Research Memorandum Series. Porter received de-
throughout Minnesota and Texas and served as artistic grees from the University of Iowa and Truman State
director of the Minneapolis chamber choir From Age University, and further conducting training at the Or-
to Age. Michaels also served as director at Northwest egon Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling.
University. He holds a DMA from Michigan State Uni-
versity, an MM from Baylor University, and a BM from
Concordia College.

10 CHORAL JOURNAL January 2024 Volume 64 Number 5