Delegates sampled from an unprecedented array of thought-provoking sessions and events at Chorus America’s 31st Annual Conference in Denver, June 10-14—ranging from breakouts and plenaries with choral colleagues to art-making workshops, caucuses, and town meetings with orchestra, theatre, opera, and dance colleagues as part of the National Performing Arts Convention.Two evening choral concerts by Conference hosts the Colorado Symphony Chorus and Colorado Children’s Chorale were among 126 live performances by as many as 50 companies in and around Denver during the Convention week.

More than 300 chorus leaders started each day with a morning sing and chorus plenary session at the Grand Hyatt Denver and then headed to the Colorado Convention Center for multi-disciplinary convenings with the 4,000 NPAC delegates and a second round of plenary sessions featuring luminaries such as Jim Collins, Anna Deavere Smith, Bill Rauch, Marin Alsop, Jose Antonio Abreu, Germaine Acogny, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, and NEA chairman Dana Gioia.

The Convention Center was also home to the first-ever ArtsTown, with 224 exhibitors, live performances, a library and bookstore, cyber café, and the smART Bar, site of more than 230 one-on-one personal “buttonhole” consultations with experts. Delegates could choose from more than 60 breakouts, workshops, and art-making sessions on Thursday afternoon, as well as a wide-ranging array of pre-convention in-depth seminars on Tuesday and Wednesday.

NPAC’s theme, “Taking Action Together,” was carried out in daily caucus sessions run by AmericaSpeaks, where thousands of delegates participated in small-group discussions to hammer out an arts action agenda. This culminated in a 21st Century Town Meeting where participants voted electronically on recommendations from the previous caucuses. “The quality, creativity, and thoughtfulness of the participants’ contributions in the caucus sessions were remarkable—across the performing arts spectrum,” said Ann Meier Baker, co-chair of NPAC and president and CEO of Chorus America. Read more in the NPAC press release.

Chorus America’s plenary sessions offered inspiration and variety, from an examination of the creative collaboration that resulted in A Stream of Voices (a musical premiered for Conference delegates by the Colorado Children’s Chorale) to an engaging roundtable conversation on programming for today’s choruses with composer Jennifer Higdon, CSO conductor Jeffrey Kahane, and CSO chorus director Duain Wolfe. An impassioned address by Ben Cameron of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, “The Place of Choruses at the Arts Table,” reaffirmed the irreplaceable value of the arts in a culture dedicated to sensation and convenience. And composer Eric Whitacre celebrated the choral world’s openness to new sounds as the featured speaker at the closing luncheon and awards ceremony.

As has become a Conference tradition, each day opened with a morning sing led by some of the chorus world’s favorite conductors—Pearl Shangkuan, Rollo Dilworth, Alice Parker, and Nick Page offered a diverse sampling of songs and styles to get each day off to a rousing start. Conference attendees were also treated to concerts by outstanding local choruses, which besides the Conference hosts, included Kantorei and St. Martin’s Chamber Choir.

Members of the choral community were recognized with Chorus America’s prestigious Annual Awards. And Chorus America delegates continued their tradition of generosity by boosting the Conference Campaign to a record $36,000 (special thanks go to ACFEA Tour Consultants for a matching grant and former Chorus America board members for their challenge grant). Auction chairs Paul Caldwell and Lynda Crane led the Boots & Rhinestones Auction & BBQ to a new level, raising $83,000 for Chorus America’s programs.

Chorus America extends its gratitude and thanks to all donors, speakers, and the many volunteers (headed by Cheryl Shoemaker) who contributed immeasurably to the success of the 2008 Conference. None of this would have been possible with the generous support of our Conference sponsors, who underwrote many of the sessions and events.