Alaska Chamber Chorale

The nationally recognized Alaska Chamber Chorale (formerly called the UAF Chamber Singers) was founded in 1992 by the group's director Marvilla Davis, and is dedicated to the learning and performing of quality a cappella choral music. In keeping with the Fairbanks tradition of collaboration between university and community, the 32 voice ensemble is comprised of auditioned singers from both UAF and the community of Fairbanks with the ages of the men and women in the group ranging from 17 to 65. Singers include undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty at UAF, military personnel and community members in occupations such as teaching, nursing, physicians, construction, engineering, law, federal government, and retirement.

The Alaska Chamber Chorale has performed at community and military events, outreach concerts in other communities, and has been featured with the Arctic Chamber Orchestra and Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra. Their popular “Carols of the Ages” is an annual concert in December that is widely anticipated. The ensemble was featured in the opening concert of the 1998 Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Festival marking the first time in the over 25 year history of the festival that a local group has opened the event. In March of 1998 the chorale performed by invitation through audition at the regional convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Portland, Oregon where they were enthusiastically received. In 2003 the ensemble was one of 38 choirs chosen (through competitive audition) from the US and Canada to sing at the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in New York City which was attended by more than 6000 choral conductors. While in New York City, the chorale performed an hour long concert at the Cathedral of St. Patrick, performed in three sessions and was the selected choir for the graduate choral conductors competition held at the conference. The chorale has again been selected as one of 18 choirs to sing at the American Choral Directors Association Northwest Convention which will be held March 15-18 of 2006. The ensemble has received national recognition for their premier of Vijay Singh's Stella Maris. In the fall of 1998 the Alaska Chamber Chorale released its first CD "A Northern Noel" which has had three printings thus far. Another Christmas CD and one on folk music are currently being worked on.