The Drake University choral program provides opportunities for over 250 singers in four ensembles including both auditioned and non-auditioned choirs. You need not be a music major to sing in a University ensemble. Our four choirs consists of singers with a wide range of skill and experience levels. Each of the choirs is open to all Drake students and the Drake University/Community Chorus is open to all interested singers, both students and non-students.
Auditions for returning students take place in April and for new students during the weekend preceding the start of the fall semester. The ensemble rehearses Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 3:30-5:00, and is conducted by Dr. Eric Barnum, the Director of Choral Activities.
Drake’s Four Choirs
The Drake Choir a select ensemble of 80 students, tours regionally on an annual basis and internationally every four years. The choir has sung in major venues in Europe, has performed in New York in both Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, and frequently collaborates with the Des Moines Symphony. In May 2019, the choir toured Italy, France, and Austria.
Spēro consists of 30 singers chosen from the Drake Choir, presents numerous on and off-campus performances each year. The choir tours internationally every four years and, in January 2018, sang in England, performing in London at St. Paul’s Cathedral and St. Martin in the Fields, the cathedrals of Coventry and Ely, and at Cambridge University.
Borealis is a select treble choir, presents four on-campus performances per year and, like the Drake Choir, has collaborated with the Des Moines Symphony.
Drake University Community Chorus, a non-select ensemble, is open to students, faculty, staff and community members and performs twice a year.
Special Projects and Collaborations: The Drake Choirs offer frequent opportunities for collaboration with other musicians, as well as participation in comprehensive learning projects that take both singers and audiences deeper into exploration of important topics.
Drake Choirs Faculty:
- Dr. Eric Barnum, Director of Choral Activities (The Drake Choir & spēro)
- Ted Brimeyer, Teaching Artist of Choirs (Borealis)
- Josh Boggs, Teaching Artist of Choirs (Drake Univiersity Community Chorus)
Drake Voice Faculty:
- Dr. Ann Cravero, Department Chair, Professor of Voice, & Director of Drake Vocal Jazz Singers
- Leanne Freeman-Miller, Ellis & Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Voice
- Dr. Alyssa Becker, Teaching Associate of Voice
- Christine Blanner, Teaching Associate of Voice & Director of Drake Opera Theatre
- Greg Sojka, Teaching Associate of Voice
- Ted Brimeyer, Teaching Artist of Voice & Choirs
- Josh Boggs, Teaching Artist of Choirs
- Dr. Seth Tack, Teaching Artist of Voice
- Cassie Makeeff, Teaching Associate of Vocal Coaching