DALE
ADELMANN, ORGANIST-CHOIRMASTER of St. Paul’s
Cathedral in Buffalo, N.Y., outgoing president of the Association
of Anglican Musicians, and former music director of the Gentlemen
of St. John’s College Ensemble, Cambridge, England, has
accepted the call to become All Saints’ new Director of
Music.
He replaces Tom Foster who retired in June after 27 years which
saw the shaping of the music program to one of national acclaim,
incorporating two adult choirs, a children’s choir, four
commercial CDs for Gothic and two in-house recordings; and an
outstanding Music Guild concert series.
“I can’t say enough about Dale, as a musician and
person,” said the Rt. Rev. Michael Garrison, bishop of
western New York. “When I am at the cathedral, I am exalted
by the music, and he is the backbone of that. His moving will
be a big loss not only to the church but to the community.”
At All Saints’, Adelmann, 41, joins the music staff of
Craig Phillips, associate director of music and resident composer;
and Brian Driscoll, a doctoral student at UCLA, who is the parish
Organ Scholar.
“I’m absolutely delighted with this new post,”
said Adelmann, by phone. “I have admired this parish for
many years, and long known Tom and Craig as friends. I am very
excited to be coming to a place that not only has such a dynamic
music program, but so many other wonderful things going on.”
Born and raised in southern Minnesota, he received his B.Mus.
with high distinction from the University of Michigan and his
M.Mus. from Yale University’s School of Music and Institute
of Sacred Music where he received the Charles Ives Organ Scholarship.
He also studied
for a year at the
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University
of Freiburg, Germany.
In
1987 he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for the study of Anglican
choral worship at the University of Cambridge, England. He remained
to complete a 1993 Ph.D. in that subject and became the first
North American to sing in the renowned Choir of St. John’s
College. He is author of an academically acclaimed book on the
nineteenth-century revival of Anglican choral worship, which was
the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation, and he has published several
chorus arrangements of spirituals and carols.
From 1988 to 1991 he was musical director of the Gentlemen of
St. John’s College, arranging and conducting their extensive
performing and touring schedule.
Adelmann has been organist-choirmaster of St. Paul’s Cathedral
since 1991, where he is responsible for 175 choral services and
concerts a year, and recruiting and training a men and boys’
choir, a girls’ choir and an adult choir.
“Musically he is a superb craftsman, and liturgically he
is very knowledgeable,” said Bishop Joachim Fricker, interim
dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1994-95. “I believe
Dale is a remarkable person with a very clear sense of vocation
to be critically involved in the Church’s life and mission.”
In addition to his duties at the Cathedral, Adelmann, since 2001,
has been music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. Last
April he made his conducting debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic
Orchestra in a joint performance with the Philharmonic chorus
featuring Lukas Foss’ With Music Strong and Ralph Vaughan
Williams’ Sea Symphony.
He is active as a guest conductor and clinician for the Royal
School of Church Music in America and has
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recently
conducted choral festivals in Atlanta, Birmingham, Hartford, New
York City and Tucson. “Dale’s strengths are numerous—he
is one of only a handful with the extensive training in the English
context of choral singing,” said Martin Jean, professor
of organ at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, who has known
him professionally for 20 years. “His knowledge of the sacred
choral repertoire is immense — those four years at Cambridge
involved literally hundreds of masses and services. But he is
thoroughly American, and has been able to adapt that way of thinking
to American ecclesiology.”
Adelmann will assume his post at All Saints’ on 1 September.
He and his partner, Tom Discavage, an Episcopal priest, are looking
forward to the challenges of starting a new life in a very different
environment. “I’m thrilled to have Dale as our new
Director of Music and look forward to warmly welcoming him and
Tom to life at All Saints’,” said Rector Carol Anderson.
“Dale has the faith, commitment and the musical ability
we were looking for – it’s a match all the way around.
He can build on the wonderful music program Tom Foster has created
here.”
The selection of Adelmann was made after a lengthy search process.
“Because of All Saints’ reputation, we were blessed
to receive many applications from throughout the country,”
said Chris Winchell, spokesman for the search committee whose
members also included Rob Kass, Connie Koenenn, Kate Moyer and
Jennifer Fain.
The selection process consisted of extensive screening and multiple
initial interviews, conducted by the committee and the rector.
Eventually three finalists were invited to All Saints’ for
extensive interviews and orientation to parish life here.
“The caliber of these individuals was simply superb,”
said Chris, “and the final selection process was both exciting
and humbling.” |
