Alice Parker on a Life Lived in Song

August 5, 2015

Composer, conductor, and teacher Alice Parker is a living musical legend and a true champion of the power of the human voice. In a plenary conversation at the 2015 Chorus America Conference, Parker reflected on conducting and composing, her work with Robert Shaw, her involvement with Chorus America and the value of coming together to sing.

Parker was interviewed by Ann Meier Baker, director of music and opera at the National Endowment for the Arts and former president & CEO of Chorus America. At the end of their conversation, conference attendees honored Alice in the year of her 90th birthday with a surprise group sing of her arrangement of "Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal." The plenary session was sponsored by KIconcerts.

“We’re all in this because this is our life. Our work is our play. We’re all going to be singing together and getting other people to sing as long as we live,” said Parker.

Watch the video of her interview:

 
 

Conference attendees sing Parker's "Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal." This video is part of Melodious Accord's online #Aliceis90 celebration. Click here to learn more.