University of Utah Singers

In their short history, UU Singers achieved both national and international acclaim, winning the Grand Prize at the 2005 Florilège Vocal de Tours[usurped] -International Choir Competition in Tours, France; winning the European Grand Prix Archived 2007-12-18 at the Wayback Machine Choral Competition in Tolosa, Spain;in 2006, winning first prize at the 11th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf in 2009, participating in the 19th Festival “Choralies de Vaison-la-Romaine” in France and the 37th Abu Gosh international vocal music festival near Jerusalem.

In addition to their international appearances, UU Singers performed at division and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference and was featured locally at state events, such as the inauguration of Governor Olene S. Walker, the 2004 opening session of the Utah State Senate and the dedication ceremony of the Marriott Library with former first lady Laura Bush.

In 2007, they were selected by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition to premiere Judith Bingham's “Ghost Towns of the American West” as part of an international performing consortium of choirs which included VocalEssence and the BBC Singers.

[1] The "Singers" was an outgrowth of the University of Utah Chamber Choir, the original premier small choral ensemble at the University of Utah, which was conducted for years by Dr. Bernell Hales (1920-2006) and generally had around twenty members performing music from various periods from Gregorian Chant and early Renaissance to modern, both sacred and secular, music in numerous languages.

During his 21-year tenure conducting the Chamber Choir and teaching classes at the U, Professor Hales was known as an accomplished choral music arranger as well as a great and gifted musician.