Dr. Kris Boston

Take a look at Dr. Kris Boston's resume and there's no question why Dr. Carol Feather asked her to be the new director for the Dyersburg Choral Society.

Along with teaching voice, Boston has had experience in several opera roles, oratorio roles, musical theater roles on and off Broadway and made concert appearances. She also performed the first and second soprano solos of Mozart's "Grand Mass in C Minor" with the St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Starting Jan. 15, Boston will add another notch to her resume when she becomes the fifth director of the Choral Society.

"I felt she was eminently qualified to take over the position," said Feather, professor of music at Dyersburg State Community College. "Anyone who's read her resume would immediately agree. She's already on the staff as an adjunct facility member teaching voice. We are pleased to have someone with Kris' experience and musical background working with us."

Boston replaces Cooper Patterson who became director in August 2001, replacing Mark Locke who directed the group for 15 years.

"The Choral Society and the college want to express our appreciation to Cooper Patterson for his outstanding leadership, efforts, hard work and expertise as director of the Choral Society for the last 2 1/2 years. We are certainly sorry to lose him due to his many other commitments," Feather said.

Patterson is choral director at Dyersburg Middle School and Dyersburg High School, adult choir director at First United Methodist Church in Dyersburg, president of the West Tennessee Vocal Association and venue director of the American Choral Directors Regional Meeting being held this spring. He also plays with the Jackson Symphony and the Dyersburg Community Orchestra.

"Because he is so talented, he's very, very busy," said Bob Dean, president of the Choral Society. "His (WTVA) commitment would take him out of town for about half of the Choral Society sessions. He loves Dyersburg and has worked with so many (Society) members that were past students, he didn't want to give it up but he felt that he had to. We appreciate everything Cooper did for us. We know he's going to go on to do bigger and better things."

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Boston began singing professionally in choirs when she was 16. Her formal singing career began in New York City when she was awarded a two-year Metropolitan Opera scholarship by the Rudolph Bing regime and was a winner in the Lincoln Center "New Voices" competition.

Over the next seven years, she sang professionally throughout the United States and in Italy with opera companies such as Santa Fe, Central City, Eastern, Queens, Bel Canto, Turneau, Ruffino and Opera Colorado, and was featured soloist with the Denver Chamber Orchestra, Florida West Coast Symphony, American Festival Orchestra and Savannah Symphony.

She has worked with esteemed artists such as Leonard Bernstein and Alan Lerner, performing with the Philadelphia Grand Opera and in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, such as "My Fair Lady," "A Little Night Music," "Brigadoon," "The Sound of Music" and "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

Boston holds bachelor of music and master of music in vocal performance degrees from Wichita State University and a doctorate of musical arts in vocal performance/directing from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.

She is a member of the College Music Society, National Association of Teachers of Singing, American Guild of Musicians, Actors' Equity Association, American Choral Directors Association and a lifetime member of Actors' Fund of America.

Boston began teaching at DSCC in 1987 prior to receiving her master's and doctorate degrees. She joined the adjunct faculty in September 2003. She lives in Newbern with her husband of 17 years, Dr. Raymond Boston.

"She is a natural replacement," said Joan Latham, a founding member of the Society.

While she's had much experience in teaching voice classes and has some direction experience, this will be Boston's first time to direct something like the Choral Society.

"This is a totally new role," she said. "I was thrilled when Carol asked me."

Boston already has big plans for the Choral Society.

This semester's work will focus on the April 25 concert at 3 p.m. in the First Baptist Church sanctuary where they will perform Fauré's "Requiem" and Mozart's "Te Deum" with Leigh Stringfield accompanying on organ.

"I did the solo of the 'Requiem' years ago. The choir pieces are heavenly," Boston said.

A requiem is a mass for the dead. However, Fauré's composition "is not the somber, sad type. It's very ethereal and spiritually uplifting," Boston said.

It will be offset by the "typical" Mozart piece.

"They are total contrasts to one another," Boston said.

In the Choral Society's future, Boston plans to do a concert featuring a history of Broadway from its very earliest days coming up through vaudeville, burlesque, Gilbert & Sullivan, Cohan and following up through today.

"Kris has some very good ideas for the future," Latham said. "She has a very broad background."

"We're excited about Kris," Dean said. "How fortunate we are to have someone with her talent to head up the Society. That says a lot about our community."

The Choral Society is a DSCC-sponsored, college and community ensemble that began in 1979 as a way for students who love to sing and want credit to perform with others who love to sing.

"We're grateful to those in the community who've supported us in the past." Latham said.

Members are from Dyer County, surrounding Tennessee counties and Missouri. There are no auditions.

"We're always looking for new members," Latham said. "We encourage people who sing in church choirs, former choral students or folks who just love to sing to come try us out. We welcome anyone. This is a great opportunity for those looking for an outlet."

Latham noted the Choral Society is composed of "a mixed bag" of musical ability with those who are highly trained to those who have no formal music training.

"We're down to earth," Dean said. "We're small-town folks having a big time at doing what we love to do -- sing -- and sharing that with others. We become a family unit; we support one another. We have a lot of fun times."