Herring Chamber Ensemble

Founded in 1997

Bingham Vick, Jr., founder and conductor

Nancy L. Smith, accompanist

The Greenville Chorale’s Herring Chamber Ensemble wishes to thank Gordon and Sarah Herring for their love of beautiful choral music and their longstanding support of this organization.

This program is funded in part by the Metropolitan Arts Council which receives support from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, Michelin North America, Inc., SEW Eurodrive and the South Carolina Arts Commission.

The Chamber Ensemble of the Greenville Chorale was founded by Bingham Vick, Jr., in the spring of 1997 as a professional vocal chamber ensemble. Each member is a distinguished musician with extensive vocal and choral experience and as solo artist in opera, oratorio and recital. Composed of twenty-four voices, The Herring Chamber Ensemble performs as a core part of the Greenville Chorale throughout the regular season concerts and also presents an annual concert. The varied repertoire of The Herring Chamber Ensemble allows for significant educational and choral outreach performances in the community. Dr. Vick has served for thirty-eight years as distinguished Conductor and Artistic Director of the Greenville Chorale founded in 1961.

Bingham Vick, Jr, Conductor and Artistic Director

Bingham Vick, Jr. is in his fortieth season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Greenville Chorale. Since 1981 he has expanded the repertoire of the Chorale and excited the Chorale’s ever-growing audience with highly acclaimed performances of great choral-orchestral literature. In 1997 he founded and continues to conduct the professional Herring Chamber Ensemble. Dr. Vick retired as Professor Emeritus from Furman University in May, 2010. He was Director of Furman Singers for forty years. A native of Charlotte, NC, he earned degrees from Stetson University and Northwestern University, where he was a student of Margaret Hillis and Assistant Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. He sang for several years in the Robert Shaw Festival Chorus, conducted by Robert Shaw.

Nancy Lyons Smith, accompanist

Mrs. Smith is a graduate of University (B,Music) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.C.M.). She most recently was a member of the music faculty at The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville where she taught AP music theory, aural skills, class piano, and served as vocal coach/accompanist. For a number of years, Mrs. Smith was part-time lecturer at Furman University where she taught piano and music theory. An acclaimed accompanist, she assists with recitals in the Greenville area and around the state. She has also served as accompanist for numerous organizations, including the Furman Singers, the Southern Seminary Choir, the Community Choruses of Kannapolis, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Chorale of the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium, the Greenville Chorale.

Herring Chamber Ensemble Singers

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Soprano / Alto Lisa Barksdale • Amy Joye • Kathryn Knauer • Laura Ritter • Kelley B. Addison • Judith DeFoor • Katelin Hawkins • Sylvia S. Hodge • Melissa Pressley Tenor Keith Jameson • Chase McAbee • Townsend Pass • David Rasbach • Randall Traynham Bass / Baritone Kevin Batson • Kyle Batson • Benjamin Dobbs • David Parker • Craig Philip Price

Soprano / Alto

Lisa Barksdale, soprano

Lisa is a twenty-two-year veteran of the voice faculty at Furman University, and a frequent soloist in the Greenville, SC area. Having earned vocal performance degrees from Furman and Northwestern University, she is passionate about teaching her students to communicate expressively and to sing healthily. Prior to moving to Greenville, Lisa was active in the Atlanta music community, teaching choral music at Pace Academy, serving in several churches, and singing in the ASOC under the direction of Robert Shaw.

Amy Joye, soprano

A native of Woodruff, SC, graduated from Furman University with a degree in church music. Amy also attended Converse College and Southern Seminary. She is a Children’s Choir specialist who has taught music, led choral workshops, and directed children’s and youth choirs in Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. Amy has performed with VOX and the Ethos Chamber Singers in Charlotte, and locally with Greenville Light Opera Works and the SC Bach Choir.

Kathryn Knauer, soprano

A native of Houston, Texas, Kathryn Cavenaugh Knauer, soprano, made her first opera debut at a very young age. She began her life in the operatic world with Houston Grand Opera’s world premiere performance of Wallace’s HARVEY MILK as ‘Medora Payne’. She then made her New York City Opera debut with the same role the same year. She also performed in numerous small rolls with Houston Grand Opera. After receiving her Bachelor of Music Performance from Furman University and Master of Music Performance from Northwestern University, she has continued to perform in numerous roles including “"Pamina" in Mozart's Die ZAUBERFLÖTE, "Violetta" in LA TRAVIATA, and “Mother” in AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS.

Laura Ritter, soprano

Originally from Morristown, Tennessee, Laura has been a collegiate choral conductor for 28 years, serving as Department Head of Music and Theatre at Walters State Community College. She is currently on the faculty of Clemson University, where she directs the Women’s Choir and accompanies voice and instrumental students. Laura is a graduate of Furman University with a degree in music education and earned her master’s degree in choral conducting at the University of Illinois.

Kelley B. Addison, mezzo-soprano

Kelley holds her Bachelor’s degree in Music Theory from Furman University, where she was in Furman Singers, Chamber Singers and the Honeybees. She studied voice with Dr. Trudy Fuller and piano with Dr. David Gibson. Growing up in Greenville, Kelley was a student of The Fine Arts Center and Singing Christmas Tree. She has spent many years as a private piano, voice and theory teacher, and enjoys composing. Kelley has performed with the Connecticut Grand Opera Chorus, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Durham Choral Society and the Wilton Singers.

Judith DeFoor, mezzo-soprano

Judith is a native of Columbia , SC. She holds a degree in choral music education from Furman University, where she was a member of Furman Singers, Chamber Choir, and studied voice with Dr. Bruce Schoonmaker. For nine years, she taught choral and general music in Laurens, SC, Columbia SC, and Athens, GA. She recently earned her Master of Science degree from the University of South Carolina and is currently employed as a speech-language pathologist at Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community in Laurens, SC.

Suzie Evjen Hagopian, mezzo-soprano

Originally from California’s Bay Area, Suzie Evjen Hagopian, mezzo-soprano, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Boston Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Elisabeth Phinney. Suzie spent a transition year singing in Nashville, TN and Graz, Austria before moving to New York City. Suzie continued voice study in New York with Patricia Scimeca and later, Frederick Martell. Suzie has been an active recital and concert soloist and has performed opera roles with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble and New York Opera Project.

Katelin Hawkins, mezzo-soprano

Katelin is a resident of Simpsonville, SC. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Education from Winthrop University, where she studied voice with Dr. Jennifer Hough and sang in multiple choral ensembles under the direction of Dr. Katherine Kinsey. Katelin...

Sylvia S. Hodge, mezzo-soprano

Sylvia Hodge, mezzo-soprano, is a native of Greer, South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a member of the Romance Languages Chorale. Her graduate degrees are a Master of Education in Educational Administration, and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, from the University of South Carolina. A lifelong musician, Sylvia studied voice with Ivah Dickson and has participated in community choruses and ensembles, singing solos in school, at church, and for numerous weddings and funerals.

Melissa Pressley, mezzo-soprano

Melissa is a native of Williamston, SC, attended Furman University, and has been a member of the Greenville Chorale for forty years.

Tenor

Keith Jameson, tenor

Keith has enjoyed a 28-year career as a professional opera and concert singer. He has been heard nationally at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, and many others. Internationally, he has performed with Opera di Firenze at the Maggio Musicale, the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Opera di Roma; Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia; Spain; Massimo Theater, Palermo, Sicily; English National Opera in London; Royal Opera di Wallonie in Liege, Belgium; and at the Sejii Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Japan. Mr. Jameson sang with Boston Baroque, in many performances of Handel’s Messiah, and in Haydn’s The Creation and Lord Nelson Mass, both commercially released on CD.

Chase McAbee, tenor

Chase is a Greenville native and graduate of Furman University. He is the Director of Choral Arts and Musical Theatre at High Point Academy in Spartanburg, SC where he teaches chorus and musical theatre to grades 6-12. He is also on staff at Christ Church Episcopal in Greenville where he directs the Children’s Choirs and oversees the music for their more eclectic “Chapel Service.” Chase is also regularly contracted by theaters and universities around the upstate to serve as musical director and/or show pianist for musicals, recitals, cabarets, and musical reviews.

Townsend J. Pass, Tenor

Townsend J. Pass was born and raised in Greenville, SC. He sang with WHHS Madrigals before attending South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities where he studied voice and sang with the Greenville Chorale as a Young Artist. After his graduation from Coastal Carolina University (B.A. in Music Theatre) in 2010, he immediately moved to New York City where he continued his career as a performer.

David Mark Rasbach, Tenor

David Mark Rasbach, tenor, a native of Johnstown, PA, now resides in Greenville, SC, where he divides his time between teaching, directing Rushingbrook Children’s Choir and composition. Mr. Rasbach studied with organist, Donald Wilkins at Carnegie-Mellon Conservatory of Music, and he is a graduate of Bob Jones University, from where he holds a bachelor’s degree in organ and a master’s degree in composition.

Randall Traynham, tenor

Randall Traynham, tenor, is a native of Greenville. Randall attended the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and graduated from Furman University with a bachelor of arts in music where he was a member of Furman Singers, Furman Choir, and the Phi Mu Alpha Men’s Chorus. He earned an MBA from Troy University and is employed by PaymentsFirst as director of education.

Bass / Baritone

Kevin Batson, bass

Kevin, a Greenville native, is a graduate of Furman University. He holds the Master of Music degree in Conducting from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX. Kevin joined the Chorale/Ensemble in 2008.

Kyle Batson, bass

Kyle, a native of Greenville, SC, graduated Travelers Rest High and attended North Greenville College where he studied music. Kyle was a barber by profession before answering the call to full-time ministry. He has served as Minister of Music for churches in the upstate as well as North Carolina and Georgia. He is currently the Worship Pastor for Overbrook Baptist Church, Greenville, SC where he has served for over 13 years.

Benjamin Dobbs, baritone

Benjamin is Coordinator of Music Theory and Composition at Furman University. He holds a Ph.D. in music theory with a related field in music history from the University of North Texas. His primary area of research explores the development of music and musical thought in early modern Germany. He also studies the efficacy of assessment practices in music theory curricula, for which he collaborates with his wife, Shana Southard-Dobbs, Ph.D., a psychological scientist at Lander University.

David Parker, bass-baritone

David G. Parker, DMA, CMVT, is chairman of the vocal studies program at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina where he teaches private voice, music technology and diction for singers. He received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in voice performance in 1986. While at Michigan David was a soloist with the Michigan Chorale on an international goodwill tour representing the United States to Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. His voice teachers have included Charles, Koelsch, William McCauley, Andrew White, John McCollum and Sherrill Milnes. He has soloed under many prestigious conductors including Lloyd Pfautsch, Donald Neuen, Gustave Meier, Bingham Vick and Dwight Gustafson.

Craig Philip Price, bass-baritone

Craig is a South Carolina native and has lived in Greenville since 2019 where he serves on the voice faculty at Furman University and is a soloist at First Baptist Greenville. He holds degrees in voice performance from Furman and Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. Prior to returning to South Carolina, Dr. Price sang with opera companies around the country including Central City Opera, Kentucky Opera, Charlottesville Opera, and Opera Saratoga.

Also see: HCE Concert Features 1998 – 2022