Red Mountain Choir Hits the Right Note

"The report of my death was an exaggeration.” ~ Mark Twain (1897)

You may have heard in recent months that Red Mountain Music Company, founded in 1998, was no longer performing. We are thrilled to let readers know that this is NOT the case, and in fact, they have upcoming concerts on Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14 called Bare Necessities. Recently, we sat down with two of its members, Rose Woodbury and Tiffany Pereira, to discuss the community choir, its history, and what the future holds.

As we noted earlier, Boulder City Community Chorus, the precursor to Red Mountain Music Company or Red Mountain Choir as its more colloquially known now, was started in 1998 by a group of residents who loved singing and wanted to bring that joy to others by performing musical concerts in Boulder City. They began that year by performing the famous Messiah by George Frederic Handel.

The group were successful in bringing this entertainment forward and they quickly evolved into the Red Mountain Choir, under the umbrella of the Red Mountain Music Company in 2002. Several other groups were started during this time period, including a youth choir, which was later disbanded when enrollment numbers diminished.

With the retirement last year of their music conductor, Lisa Gillespie, and assistant conductor, Cheryl Sneed, who had served together in those roles for 15 years, the future of the group seemed a bit uncertain, but singers were still interested in continuing. Pam Barlow volunteered to conduct the next concert while a search was made to find new conductors and an accompanist. In stepped Stephanie Artl, who will be conducting the choir for the first time in the November concerts, along with Lindsay Alder as assistant conductor and Miriam Young as accompanist.

We asked Rose and Tiffany about their experiences with the choir and why they look forward to performing in the future. Their shared love of music is the main reason why the Red Mountain Choir appealed to them. Tiffany also shared that she valued the non-audition format, which encourages more people to join the group and contribute.

The Red Mountain Music Company is largely made up of volunteers who dedicate hours to the success of the program. The choir is made up of approximately forty vocalists in four categories: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Again, the group does not audition singers and invites anyone in the community ages 14 and up to join if they enjoy singing. Rehearsals for this November’s shows began in August, but you can still join the group for future shows by contacting Rose Woodbury HERE. Current members include residents of Boulder City, Henderson, and Las Vegas. They are especially looking for male singers in the tenor and bass ranges! The group meets on Thursdays from 7:00PM to 9:00PM at the Elaine K Smith Building.

To attend next month’s concerts on November 13-14, tickets are just $10 for adults and are available at the door. Children over 4 years old and Students are free. Children under 4 years old are not permitted at the shows. The doors open at 6:15 PM and the show begins at 7:00 PM. The performance is at the Elaine K Smith Building, 700 Wyoming Street. You can check out the group at its official webpage HERE or on social media at Facebook HERE or YouTube HERE. This performance of Ashokan Farewell is especially great. You’ll find it HERE.