Our Spotlight on the Arts shines brightly on the Artistic Director of St. Maries Choral Arts, Dr. Bethany Alvey!
Tell us about your work with St. Maries Choral Arts!
This is my third year as the Artistic Director for St. Maries Choral Arts (SMCA). I partner with the Board and the various committees to bring quality choral music to Southern Maryland.
How long have you practiced your art form?
I grew up right here in St. Mary’s County and started singing and performing when I was about 4 years old. Singing has always been a part of my life. I sang hymns and carols with my family at church, tunes from The Beach Boys and other vocal pop groups from the 60’s in the car, and from Disney and Land Before Time for no one in particular.
Music teachers at Leonardtown Elementary, Middle, and High Schools provided me with great opportunities to learn and grow as a young performer. Pam Howe and Dane Kramer (Leonardtown Elementary) directed full-length musicals for decades, and I was privileged to be a part of them. I sang in middle school chorus with Joey Hoopengardner and in high school with Eunice Leopold and later with Jamie (Fitzgerald) Sample after Ms. Leopold passed.
During this time, I also acted in St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks Summerstock Theater under the direction of Wade Thompson and later Shannon Merchant. I decided early on, around age 12 or so, that I was going to pursue Music Education to be a chorus teacher. During my undergraduate years at Towson University, I knew that I wanted to return to St. Mary’s County to teach.
What have been your past and/or present inspirations?
I have had the good fortune to work with an incredible array of conductors and artists, starting with those early teachers, but the more recent mentors that have inspired me have been the late Dr. Karen Kennedy, and Dr. Paul Rardin, who I am delighted to say is coming back to work with St. Maries Choral Arts.
I also take great inspiration from my spiritual life. I was raised traditionally Christian, and spiritual experiences in my life have drawn me into learning from the mystics and contemplatives – St. Brigid and Celtic Christian traditions, the desert fathers and mothers, St. Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, the Cloud of Unknowing – and more contemporary mystics as well.
Do you have a favorite style or other favorite aspect of what you do?
My favorite part of choral music is the rehearsal process. Gathering together with the same group of people to work together on a shared project is so deeply meaningful to me. I love a variety of styles and genres – that’s another benefit of choral music. You’re not stuck doing just one thing.
Classical or Medieval chant, Baroque or jazz, Romantic or musical theatre, opera or Black spirituals, singing from every culture and language – there’s no limit. I particularly love finding a theme or threads of connection that emerges when we have narrowed down our set list of diverse songs. It’s like the choir had something to say, and we’re finding a way to say it.
What are your connections to Southern Maryland?
St. Mary’s County, born and raised! After I finished my undergraduate degree at Towson University, I returned to teach at Great Mills High School for four years. At the end of that fourth year, I began a Master of Music in choral conducting at the Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University, followed immediately by marrying my husband Jason and a Doctorate of Music in Choral Conducting at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.
In 2016, Jason and I moved to Fresno, California, where I taught at Fresno Pacific University. We continued to live in California until 2023 and decided to move home to Southern Maryland. We missed our home and our people! It has felt so wonderful being in this place, with all four seasons and near the water. It’s both restful and busy, and close to the cities for all kinds of fun. But the best part is being around our people – our relatives and our found-family live here, and life is better lived with the community you love.
What are your other interests or occupations outside of St. Maries Choral Arts?
My day job is a music teacher with St. Mary’s County Public Schools at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School where I teach General Music, Chorus, and Strings, serve as Duke’s building site rep and fine arts liaison for the Education Association of St. Mary’s County, and am on the Fine Arts Leadership Team.
This winter I’ll be music directing The Newtowne Player’s show A Night on Broadway: Broadway Backwards with director Kenneth Faison.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
If you’ve ever wanted to sing but aren’t sure you can – join a choir. It’s the best place to learn, and we’ve got a bunch here in Southern Maryland. In St. Maries Choral Arts, we have section leaders ready to help and support you, and we give you tools so you can learn. You’ll be surprised at what you can do at the end of one season with the support of a whole choir around you and astonished at your own growth!
I believe choral singing is a spiritual act. We gather together with others who are all different from us, we share breath, and we resonate together. Our minds focus on the line, the vowel, the rhythm, and you have to be present. You can’t have your mind on dinner or the last Facebook fight. We sing different lines, different notes, different rhythms – but it comes together as one. It’s not something you have to belabor or convince people of – in fact, I think it’s better if you don’t. Just sing.
Thank you, Dr. Alvey, for being a valued part of our artistic community!
St. Maries Choral Arts links:
Website: https://www.smchoralarts.org/
FB page: https://facebook.com/St.Maries.Choral.Arts
Instagram: https://instagram.com/smchoralarts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@stmarieschoralarts5314
Upcoming St. Maries Choral Arts performances (click here for details about these and other upcoming events):
- December 6 at 3 PM – with St. Mary’s College of Maryland Choir at the Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center
December 14 at 3 PM – with COSMIC Symphony at the Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center
December 15 at 7 PM – Home Concert Carol Sing at First Saints Church in Leonardtown, MD