Mission

The Manchester Choral Society, established in 1960, is a non-profit auditioned community chorus whose long-standing reputation for excellence and dedication to the performance of quality literature of all periods and styles has made it a magnet for serious singers throughout the region. Under the new leadership of Music Director Dan Perkins, the Manchester Choral Society is one of the region's most respected choral organizations.

Members of MCS are inter-generational, ranging from talented high school students to mature singers with over 50 years of choral singing experience. They come from all over New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts, and represent a wide variety of professions and walks of life. The Manchester Choral Society is committed to sharing and promoting the best in choral music through performance, collaboration, and educational outreach.

Music Director

Dr. Daniel Perkins is Stevens-Bristow Distinguished Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Plymouth State University. He holds the degrees Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University.

Dr. Perkins continued his studies as a Fulbright scholar in Helsinki, Finland. While there, he worked as the Associate Conductor of the Finnish Chamber Choir and Associate Conductor of the Savonlinna Opera Festival Chorus. Prior to his move to New Hampshire, Dr. Perkins worked as the Assistant Conductor for the Colorado Symphony Chorus. He is active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad. He has been a guest conductor of the Dartmouth Concertato Singers and Dartmouth Handel Society, and has just been appointed Music Director of the Hanover Chamber Orchestra. He is also Music Director of the New Hampshire Master Chorale and Principal Guest Conductor for the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet in Hanoi.

He conducted the New Hampshire Friendship Chorus on their tours to Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Brazil, and will conduct their summer 2008 tour of Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. Perkins is a co-founder, with Dr. Trish Lindberg, of the award-winning Educational Theatre Collaborative, and pianist for Trio Veritas.

Accompanist

Charles Blood has served as accompanist for the Manchester Choral Society since 1986. He has also filled this role for musical productions throughout the region, high school and college choirs on two European tours, and numerous area choral workshops, festivals, and recitals. As a member of the music faculty of Notre Dame College, he founded and served as director of the college's Community Music School and coordinator of the Summer Concert Series. He has also taught at St. Paul's School and in the Manchester public schools. Mr. Blood now teaches for the Derry Cooperative School District and is music director at the New Castle Congregational Church. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Hampshire where he also earned a Master of Arts degree in music.

Assistant Music Director Intern

Andrew Morrissey is a recent graduate from Plymouth State University with a BA in Music. He was the choral fellow for Dr. Dan Perkins his senior year, and sang with both Chorale and Chamber Singers during his time there. He has worked as a collaborative pianist and as a music director for various semi-professional, university, and community theatre companies in New Hampshire. In summer 2008 he toured with the Friendship Chorus of New Hampshire to Croatia/Bosnia/Slovenia/Montenegro as an accompanist and was music director for the New Harmony project in Indiana. This past summer he was the Music Director for the Summer Theatre in Meredith Village with a season that included Forever Plaid, Grease, Sound of Music and Oklahoma. Andrew is also a member of the New Hampshire Master Chorale this year. He hopes to being going to grad school in the fall for Music Theatre Composition.

Board

President: Sasha Kuftinec
Vice President: David Betz
Secretary: Ed Doyle
Treasurer: Amanda Simeone
Thomas Bisett
Nancy Danzinger
Greg Girard
Derrick Landano
Walt Noyalis
Michael Petrovick
Nancy Rosen
Irena Wachs
Tom Wilkes
Office Administrator: Janice Jolly

MCS/Richard Crafts Memorial Scholarship Information

This year the MCS will award two $1000 scholarships to assist two qualified students with funding their post-secondary school music studies.

• Letter to scholarship applicants
• MCS Scholarship Application

Members of the MCS July 1999 Concert Tour to Italy, at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.