Change Font Size:   A A A

Sep 14, 2018

Prairie View Director to Conduct 60th Annual Diocesan Adult Choral Festival

A. Jan Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Choral Music Activities at Prairie View A&M University, and authority on the African-American spiritual, will serve as guest conductor for this year’s Diocese of Texas adult choral festival, October 20 at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston. Linda Patterson, chair of the Diocese of Texas Music Commission, invited choristers from around the diocese to register to participate for the festival, when making the announcement.

Taylor, a Houston native, received a Bachelor of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Houston. She earned her Master of Arts from Prairie View. She has served as adjudicator and choral clinician for numerous choral competitions, festivals and regional choirs. 

Taylor is the founding director of Intermezzo, a professional vocal chamber ensemble, and has traveled throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a singer with the Houston Chamber Choir and the Houston Chorale.  As assistant conductor of the Houston Symphony Chorus (2003 until 2006), she helped prepare the chorus for world-class conductors and has collaborated with renowned conductors and composers like Barbara Baker, Roland Carter, Nathan Carter, Moses Hogan and Adolphus Hailstork. 

As a coach and accompanist for the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, Taylor conducts the Guild’s Chorus in performances of spirituals, African-American concert music and operatic works. Taylor conducted the “105 Voices of History” for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and under her direction, the Prairie View A&M University Concert Chorale and Chamber Singers performed to critical acclaim throughout the United States and abroad.  Her choirs have performed with the Houston Symphony, the Acadian Symphony, andv several professional and community choruses.

Taylor is a board member of the Bay Area Chorus and the Texas Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, Texas Choral Directors Association and Sigma Alpha Iota, a music fraternity for women.  She serves on the vestry at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Houston. 

The festival will begin at 4 p.m., followed by a reception. Registration is now open for choristers. Please see schedule and list of music below. Scholarships are available.

Register Now

Saturday, October 20    

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.   Rehearsal in Latham Hall

12:00 – 1p.m.                   Lunch

1:00 – 3:30 p.m.               Rehearsal

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.               Break   

4:00 p.m.                         Festival in Cathedral, followed by reception in Latham Hall

Music: The following two anthems are being stocked at AMC Music (800.833.8421 or ) as well as Cliff Hill Music(800.819.8772 or )

There Is a Balm in Gilead, arr. William L. Dawson, SATB 5688088 $1.95 
Neil A. Kjos Music Company 
The Word Was God,Rosephanye Powell, SSAATTBB  3030707 M $2.35 
Gentry Publications 

Additional pieces are free and may be downloaded:

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, T. Tertius Noble, SATB w/soprano solo 
Come, Ye Servants of the Lord, Cristopher Tye
Call to Remembrance, Richard Farrant
Achieved is the Glorious Work,  Haydn

Register Now