He is a bass/baritone singer and music/choral director who studied at the Dekalb Community College for three years from 1979.
In 1982 he entered the US Army’s Military Police Corps where he stayed for 2 years. After leaving service he returned to education at the Georgia State University from 1984 to 1987 and during those years he was involved in preparing choruses for the President of the American Choral Director’s Association, Jon Haberlin, and the conductor Robert Shaw of the Atlanta Symphony.
He became a member of several of Robert Shaw’s choral ensembles such as the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus and the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers. He appeared on 6 Grammy Award winning albums during his membership of these ensembles.
In 1987 he became the Director of Choral Activities at the All Saints Church in Dunwoody, Georgia and after leaving them in 1995 he worked for a time in the automotive industry. He had also been busy in 1990 and 1991 when he recorded two albums with the composer Peter Schickele under the guise of P.D.Q. Bach.
Going back into choral conducting he joined the Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church in 2002 and stayed with them for a period of around two years. 2004 was a big year for him as he established his Jones Direct business in the health and fitness industry and also took on the position of Director of Music Ministries at the Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church in Albany, Georgia. He still continues with both of these today. Carrying on as a soloist he performed with the Albany Symphony Orchestra in their 2007 Christmas Concert.
Other organisations he has been a member of include the American Choral Director’s Association, the Chorister’s Guild and the Royal School of Church Music.
Robert Shaw Chamber Singers recordings
Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional French/James Chadwick/Edward Shippen Barnes )
Telarc 80377 (CD: Songs of Angels: Christmas Hymns & Carols)
Conductor – Robert Shaw
Here’s “Angels We Have Heard on High” by the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers…
Sources:
- http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/794/49B
- http://www.mynetimpact.com/netimpact.cfm
- http://www.porterfieldchurch.org/Music%20Ministry.htm
- http://www.albanyherald.com/archives/SouthView/2007/southview120607c.html
- http://www.amgsonicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=41:32075~T3
CD Liner Notes: Songs of Angels: Christmas Hymns & Carols