Huntsville Master Chorale Performs with HLA Young Writers on May 2, 2014

Huntsville Master Chorale Performs Spring is Bach using poems from Huntsville Literary Association’s 2013 Young Writers winners!

Friday night, May 2, 2014 was a beautiful night for classical music.  Several  world premiere compositions were set to choir and orchestra from the Huntsville Master Chorale (HMC) … and the lyrics of elementary and middle school poetry winners from Huntsville Literary Association’s  Young Writers’ Contest.  The concert, Spring is Bach, was held at Faith Presbyterian Church in Huntsville. 

The professional talents of composer Dr. Emma Lou Diemer, Professor Emeritus for the University of California-Santa Barbara, were combined with the poetry from 2013 HLA winners, Andrew Dylan McIntosh-Lower Elementary Poetry (Unpredictable), Zoe Johnson-Lower Elementary Poetry (Dolphins), and Molly Katherine Cornett Junior Poetry (My Apple Orchard).  A large crowd attended the proceedings and enjoyed the wonderful music of Dr. Diemer and HLA’s small poets, even listening to the students recite their poetry before the music was played.  

HMC also performed Holland Hopson’s composition, Having Told the Hive the News, as well as several selections of Bach.

Molly Cornett and her family, including parents Alan and Traci Cornett returned to Huntsville from their home in Kentucky.  The Cornetts moved earlier in the year as Alan took on a new job in a new state, but could not miss this opportunity.  Traci was a former member of HMC, and enjoyed seeing old friends again while watching Molly and the other young poets beam with excitement.  Before moving Molly had entered HLA’s 2014 contest and received a special award from Dr. Eloise Alexander, HLA President, for her contribution.

HMC Prez Sally Priester and HLA Prez Eloise Alexander share time with the audience.

HLA Prez Dr. Eloise Alexander gives a Special Achievement Award to Molly Cornett at Huntsville Master Chorale’s Spring is Bach

Young Writer Poets Zoe Johnson and Andrew McIntosh await the start of Spring is Bach

SEE MORE PHOTOS. CLICK  “CONTINUE READING ” FOR NEXT PAGE.

Andrew Dylan McIntosh reads his poem, Unpredictable, at Huntsville Master Chorale’s Spring is Bach

Presentation of young poets, Andrew Dylan McIntosh, Zoe Johnson, and Molly Cornett at HMC’s Spring is Bach

Molly Cornett and friend chat with HLA members Carol Roach and Rebecca Jones

Dr. Patricia Ramirez Hacker, HMC Artistic Director, conducts the orchestra and choir to Dr. Diemer’s composition, My Apple Orchard, which uses Molly Cornett’s poem of the same name as lyrics.

Huntsville Master Chorale member (and HLA member) Kay Campbell conducts a panel discussion with composer Dr. Emma Lou Diemer, Dr. Patricia Ramirez Hacker, HMC Artistic Director and Conductor, and Holland Hopson, composer.

Composer Dr. Emma Lou Diemer talks with Cornett Family. Molly Cornett (on right) had her poem, My Apple Orchard, set to music by Dr. Diemer.

Bonny Pfitzer Gierhart, wife of Ardent Writer publisher Steve Gierhart, performs with the Huntsville Master Chorale

• Bio
• Facebook
• Latest Posts

Steve Gierhart

Dale “Steve” Gierhart is a retired business manager for the United States Army. Based in Huntsville, Alabama on Redstone Arsenal, his career lasted from 1975 to 2010 in which he managed contracts, finances/accounting, and cost estimating for several missile defense systems, among which were Stinger, Avenger, Chaparral, Sentinel, JLENS, SLAMRAAM, and Non-Line of Sight.  The author wishes to thank the many co-workers, peers, and contractors who made these programs successful.  It is their tireless work that brought these systems to the soldier that needed them.  While budget constraints made it difficult for some of their work to see its full potential, they never blinked, they adjusted.  They persevered. Steve hails from Shawnee, Oklahoma; but most of his adult life has been spent in the beautiful hills of North Alabama where he lives with his wife, Bonny, who raises Tennessee Walking Horses. Between them, Steve and Bonny have 5 children and 9 grandchildren. Steve enjoys writing now that he is retired and plans more excursions of the imagination. He and Bonny, a retired engineer who worked as a contractor on several NASA and Army programs, will travel in their retirement though 15 horses, 4 dogs and 3 cats can crimp the best of plans.

Steve Gierhart

Latest posts by Steve Gierhart (see all)

• A Sense of Foreboding (Review of Toni Ortner’s Daybook III: Morning is Long Since Gone by Arlene Distler for The Commons) - September 2, 2020
• Building America: Immigrant Stories of Hope and Hardship is Published! - August 29, 2020
• Sophia Bogart’s The Killing of Jefferies Flats is released today! - March 15, 2020