Foothills Chorale History
For more than 30 years, local music aficionados have poured their souls
into performances of outstanding choral music for the enjoyment of the
entire community. (See partial concert repertoire list here.)
What began as the Clemson Chorale Society
under the wing of Clemson University's music department and grew into
the Clemson Community Chorale,
was reborn as the Foothills Chorale in 1992 with a new energy and dedication
to serve the needs of a flourishing tri-county community. And throughout
these years, the Chorale has experienced much joy and a few growing pains.
The new millennium provided an obvious milestone
by which to mark the Chorale's progress and envision its potential. This
progress
-- a product of vision and commitment by those who sing and those who support
-- has yielded a salaried conductor and accompanist, paid guest musicians,
improved rehearsal space, excellent performance venues, expanded programming,
professional costuming, and invitations to sing before other choral groups.
In late 2014 Conductor Bill Diekhoff announced his retirement from the podium after twenty years; the 2015-16 season was his last with the Chorale.
The Chorale's vision for the future will be
brought into focus with upcoming season plans for memorable music, greater
instrumentation, and additional
performances, all under the leadership of a new Conductor and Artistic Director!
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