Rockville High School Graduate to Conduct Vernon Chorale’s June Concert
VERNON, Connecticut – A Vernon native and Rockville High School graduate who went on to study music in college and is now a professional musician and church music director will conduct the Vernon Chorale’s June concert.
Kirby Stalley, a 2013 Rockville High graduate, attended Luther College in Iowa and sang in the school’s lead choral group, The Nordic Choir. After graduation he directed a church choir in Minnesota, and now serves as director of music at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Westborough, Mass.
For the past three years he has been the conducting fellow for the Vernon Chorale and will complete his tenure on Saturday by conducting the Chorale’s June program, titled “A Choral Tapestry: Songs of Peace, Hope, and Love.”
Kirby Stalley
Stalley said conducting the Vernon Chorale has helped gain experience managing a group of musicians, and allowed him to refine his conducting with precise and careful gestures that draw out the nuances of each score.
“I have enjoyed working with such a warm, accepting and engaging group of musicians and people,” Stalley said. “They drive head first into the things I try during rehearsal and even if those ideas do not go exactly as planned, they know and respect that I am learning and understand that failing is part of that process.”
Vernon Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph P. Macary said it is always rewarding to see former students continue to develop their skills and gain experience and professional acclaim in whatever pursuit they choose.
“The Vernon Public Schools and Rockville High School strive to bring out the best in each student and set them on a course to success in their chosen field,” Macary said. “It’s great to see a former student whose interest in music was nurtured in our schools build a career in that field and come home to share it with our community.”
Saturday’s program, assembled by Stalley, includes pieces such as “We Remember Them,” by Susan Labarr and “i carry your heart with me” by David Dickau. There will also be songs by the entire chorale, soloists and smaller ensembles of chorale members.
The Vernon Chorale’s concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, 2022 at St. John’s Episcopal Church 523 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon. Tickets are available at Arts Center East, 709 Hartford Turnpike, online through the chorale’s website, https://vernonchorale.org/a-choral-tapestry-2022/, or at the door. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Admission is free for people younger than 18.