The Chorale was founded in Arapahoe County in 1980 by former students and parents of the Cherry Creek school system to allow committed singers to continue performing and to provide the community with the joy of fine music, beautifully sung. We became a 501(c)(3) organization in 1986. We have had three Artistic Directors over the years, including our current Artistic Director & Conductor, Brian Patrick Leatherman, who joined the chorale in 1994 and took the position in 1995.
Our membership hovers around 100, plus or minus ten or so. Repertoire ranges across the whole choral spectrum, including religious and secular classics, modern works, popular music, spirituals, jazz, and regional and folk favorites. We regularly commission new works and new arrangements of already-published works.
We rehearse and sing most of our regular-season concerts (four concerts, two performances each), at Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village, Arapahoe County, Colorado. We also sing elsewhere in Arapahoe County and in other SCFD counties, as well as at other Colorado, US (including Carnegie Hall), and overseas venues.
We collaborate regularly with other choirs (adults’ and children’s), and with musical groups and individuals as diverse as symphony orchestras, Celtic and Bluegrass ensembles, local singer/songwriters, instrumental soloists, jazz ensembles, and bell ringers.
The CherryTones, is a small (16 – 24 singers) vocal ensemble established in 2012-13 by our Outreach Committee and drawn from our chorale members. The group adds variety to our regular concerts and can be booked to sing independently in new venues. The ‘Tones repertoire is a varied pop/rock/jazz/classical mix, accompanied as well as a cappella, designed to attract new listeners.