Mary Sims Johnson, Northwest Sacred Music Chorale Director!
Mary Sims Johnson has a long history of love for sacred choral music. She toured Europe multiple times with Cantores in Ecclesia, before and while studying Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance at Gonzaga University. After working as Music Director at local parishes, she pursued her Master's Degree from Eastern Washington University in Choral Conducting. Mary currently teaches at North Idaho College, and instructs private voice and piano lessons while programming music and singing at All Saints Lutheran Parish in Spokane, Washington.
Gaynell Coppess, Conductor!
Gaynell Coppess, mezzo soprano, has performed opera, oratorio, and musical theatre throughout the Inland Northwest since 1969. She has been seen as Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro and Emily in The Ballad of Baby Doe with Uptown Opera.
Gaynell has been a featured soloist with college and university choirs, last performing the alto solo in the Haydn Paukenmasse in 1973 with the Central Washington University choir. She has also appeared as the alto soloist in the Bach Magnificat with the Northwest Bach Choir at St. John's Cathedral in Spokane. In 1999 Gaynell sang in a performance of Durufle's Requiem at Carnegie Hall.
Gaynell has been a member of the Spokane Symphony Chorale since 1985. She holds a master's degree in voice performance under the direction of Boston opera baritone, John DeMerchant. She is currently the student of Patricia Blankenship, Eastern Washington University faculty and well-known mezzo soprano soloist.
Marietta Hardy, Accompanist!
Marietta
Hardy received her Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University in 1989 in Organ. She studied under Darwin Wolford at Ricks College, through whom she can trace her musical roots back to J.S. Bach himself! She also studied with Dr. Brett Zumsteg and Dr. Richard Elliott at BYU. Richard Elliott is now the organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Marietta taught group organ classes for BYU following her graduation and has been teaching private piano and organ ever since. She established a private studio in Post Falls, the Hardy Music Studio. She also teaches group and private lessons at North Idaho College. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists and serves as President Elect of the North Idaho chapter of the Music Teachers National Association. She has been the music director for plays with the Huckleberry Theater at the Lake City Playhouse, as well as the rehearsal conductor for the Coeur d’Alene Messiah Sing-a-long Chorus. She has accompanied various school, church and community choirs in the area. She has been the accompanist the Chorale and The Ensemble since 2001. Marietta and her husband Todd, a Post Falls High School science teacher, have three children and one new grandchild.
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