McClain, Laney (25 November 198?-Present)

Mezzo-soprano from Oakland, California, who was a member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus in the 1990s and went on to attend Harvard University, where she majored in Afro-American studies.

In October 1993, the SFGC appeared in the San Francisco Opera Association’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. Laney’s sisters, Rachel and Ronika, were also involved with the SFGC and in 1998, all three had the opportunity to sing together in a holiday concert conducted by their dad, who won the privilege in an auction. In 1999, Laney graduated from Head-Royce School and appeared on the SFGC album, Music from the Venetian Ospedali.

While at Harvard, she was active in the Harvard Theater and The Harvard University Choir. In 2000, she appeared on the HUC album, Christmas in the Busch, and played Ayah in the Harvard Theater’s production of The Secret Garden. She was also a member of the Leverites who performed at the Old Library in a Coffeehouse! concert on 27^th April 2001. In May 2003, she worked as the Vocal Director on the Harvard Theater’s mounting of Cole Porter’s Bard-inspired musical comedy, Kiss Me, Kate. She graduated on 5^th June 2003, and one of her graduation gifts was “A Song for a New Morning”, written for her by Carson Cooman.

She acquired her Masters of Music degree in choral conducting at the University of Oregon, where she performed in a variety of concerts at Beall Concert Hall as a member of the Repertoire Singers.

An avid runner, she has participated in a number of races, including the Battle of the Blvd. 10K, the Portland Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & ½ Marathon, Run Through Dragon, and The 27^th Annual Nordstrom’s Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes 2009.

She has served as the assistant conductor of the University of Washington’s Men’s Glee Club and the Language Coach for UW’s Baltic Tour Program. In March 2010, their travels took them to Estonia, Finland and Latvia, where they performed for the President.

In 2011 she returned to the San Franisco Girls Chorus where she became their Level III Director.

The Harvard University Choir recordings
Adeste Fidelis (Frederick Oakeley/John Francis Wade)
Pro Organo CD 7134 (Christmas in the Busch)
Conductor – Murray Forbes Somerville
Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra
Director – Robert Mealy
The Harvard Brass
Soprano – Awet Andemicael
Bass – Mark Risinger
Organists – Erica Johnson and Edward Jones

https://youtu.be/PT3yhElgPmQ

Sources:

McClain, Laney (25 November 198?-Present)

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