In our time, there has been no greater advocate for singing music than Alice Parker. Recipient of six honorary doctorates and the Smith College Medal, Parker has widely influenced choral music in America as a composer, conductor and teacher. She began composing early, and wrote her first orchestral score while still in high school. After graduating from Smith College with a major in music performance and composition, she completed a master’s degree from The Juilliard School where she studied choral conducting with Robert Shaw. Her arrangements of folksongs, hymns and spirituals with Robert Shaw form an enduring repertoire for choruses all around the world. She continues composing in many forms, from operas to cantatas, sacred anthems to secular dances, song cycles to string quartets. She has been commissioned by such groups as the Vancouver Chamber Chorus, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Chanticleer. Parker has published books on melodic styles, choral improvisation and ‘Good Singing in Church.’ Her detailed analysis, The Anatomy of Melody, was released in 2006. In 2010, as a part of the Melodious Accord 25th anniversary celebration, The Melodious Accord Hymnal was introduced. She has been recognized by Chorus America, the American Guild of Organists, the American Choral Director’s Association, The Hymn Society and Choral Arts New England for her lifetime contributions to choral music.
