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Home > Convention Details > Performing Groups > The Woodley Ensemble

The Woodley Ensemble
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle (Catholic)
July 6, 2010 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
July 6, 2010 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Group Biography
Long held in high esteem for its expert vocalism and high musical standards, Woodley Ensemble has distinguished itself through its commitment to bringing beautiful and unusual choral music to the public through performances and recordings of the finest quality. Founded in 1991 by organist Robert Lehman, the group has also been led by Nicholas White. Current Music Director Frank Albinder has been with the group since 2000. The Ensemble�s repertoire includes music from all eras, with a special focus on music of the Renaissance and the present day. Woodley Ensemble�s singers are among the finest professional choral musicians in the region, with each bringing a wide variety of knowledge and experience to the group.

Woodley Ensemble maintains an active concert schedule, including concerts in Washington, DC and performances throughout the region and beyond. The group has appeared in New York City on the chamber music series at the 92nd Street Y, as well as in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in South Carolina and the Reading Music Festival in Pennsylvania. In the Washington area, the Ensemble has been featured on the Dumbarton Concert Series, the summer concert series at Washington National Cathedral, in the �Art of the Choir� Festival at St. Paul�s Church and as guest artists on the subscription series of the Cathedral Choral Society.

The Ensemble has a long-standing relationship with Peter Phillips, founder and music director of the Tallis Scholars. Mr. Phillips has come to Washington to guest-conduct the Ensemble four times, and Woodley has performed with the Tallis Scholars in New York City and at the University of Maryland. His visits are highlights of the Ensemble�s performance calendar.

The group has released several recordings, most recently Love Songs for Chorus, on the Arsis Audio label, which was featured on the cover of the Fall, 2003 issue of Fanfare Magazine. A review in the Choral Journal noted: �This recording is seventy minutes of exquisite contemporary choral singing. From the lush opening chord to the last, conductor Frank Albinder leads the Washington, D.C. based ensemble with impeccable precision. Especially impressive is the vertical tuning displayed by this group while performing repertoire replete with difficult harmonies and tone clusters. Dynamic contrasts are thrilling and heartfelt and are indicative of the singers' connection to the poetry.� The Ensemble has also recorded two discs of hymns from the Episcopal Hymnal of 1940, available on the Bluemont Records label. A new CD of 20th-century choral music entitled O Fragile Human, with music by P�rt, Marshall, Schoenfield and Waldenby, was recorded in the fall of 2006 and will be released on the Arsis Audio label in 2009.
Director Biography
Frank Albinder is music director of the Washington Men's Camerata the Woodley Ensemble and the Virginia Glee Club, the 139-year-old men�s chorus at the University of Virginia. Frank came to Washington from the internationally renowned male vocal ensemble Chanticleer, where he served as singer, Associate Conductor and acting Director. During his 11-year tenure with Chanticleer, Frank performed in all 50 states and in 20 foreign countries. He appears on 19 of the ensemble�s recordings, including Wondrous Love, which was recorded under his direction, and the Grammy� Award-winning Colors of Love, for which he designed the concept. Other performance credits include the Boston Camerata, the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, the Washington Bach Consort, and the Concord Ensemble. He holds a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Pomona College in Claremont, California, and two M.M. degrees (Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance) from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Between 1984 and 1988, Frank was Director of Choral Activities at Davidson College in North Carolina. In addition to serving as the National Chair of Repertoire and Standards for Male Choirs for the American Choral Directors Association, he is also President of Intercollegiate Men�s Choruses, DC representative of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and Vice-President of ChoralNet.org, the Internet's principal portal for information and resources relating to the choral field. He sings as part of the professional music staff at St. John's Church, Lafayette Square, the Church of the Presidents.

Grammy� Award-winning conductor and singer Frank Albinder currently directs the Washington Men�s Camerata, the Virginia Glee Club at UVA and the Woodley Ensemble. A native of Hollywood, California, Mr. Albinder hold degrees from Pomona College and the New England Conservatory of Music. Like most musicians, he has held a number of non-musical jobs, including counter man in a delicatessen, secret document destroyer for a major military contractor, tour guide at Universal Studios and problem-fixer for FedEx. He was Director of Choral Activities at Davidson College in the mid-1980s, and for 11 years, he was singer, associate conductor and finally acting director of Chanticleer, the world-renowned vocal ensemble. During his tenure with the group, Mr. Albinder performed in all 50 states and in 20 foreign countries. He appears on 19 of the ensemble�s recordings, including Wondrous Love, which was recorded under his direction, and the Grammy� Award-winning Colors of Love, for which he designed the concept and selected the repertoire. Other per�formance credits include the Boston Camerata, the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, the Washington Bach Consort, and the Concord Ensemble. He is the National Chair of Repertoire and Standards for Male Choirs for the American Choral Director's Association, as well as President of Intercollegiate Men�s Choruses, Vice-President of ChoralNet, the internet's principal portal for information and resources relating to the choral field and the DC representative of the newly-formed National Collegiate Choral Organization.