Yes, I’m proud of all the choirs I founded and nurtured in the Puget Sound area, from Seattle Pro Musica, to the PLU Choral Union and Choral Arts. All are flourishing–less because of me (although they got a good start), but because the choirs were all built around singers dedicated to doing great choral music, and that the conductors who took over (Karen Thomas, Richard Nance, and Robert Bode) are each wonderful musicians and conductors who’ve built their own traditions and standards. Of course, SPM has no singers who sang with me (it was 40 years ago when I started the choir that would become SPM!) and the Choral Union a few, but Choral Arts still has a large core that sang with me.

Absolutely I’m proud of the work I did, but just as proud that each group has formed its own identity and done such fantastic work in the many years since I worked with them.

Of course, I haven’t finished conducting yet! I have a wonderful Monteverdi Vespers coming up in Dallas and Denton on Oct. 25/26 (the Denton one will be live broadcast–check the University of North Texas College of Music website for details) with a fabulous group of instrumentalists. With Seattle Pro Musica I gave the NW premiere of the Monteverdi in 1976, but more notably in 1978 at St. Mark’s Cathedral as a pre-conference concert at the National Conference of the AGO. . . and I was using cornetti and sackbuts back then as well!

So, while I doubt I’m starting any more choirs (never say never, however!), I’ll be conducting for a good time still, I hope!

My best to everyone in all the choirs!