The Moramus Chorale was organized in 1976 with the specific purpose of presenting music from the collections of the Moravian Music Foundation. The Chorale has performed numerous concerts over the years including a program of ccontemporary Moravian Music at the 13th Moravian Music Festival in 1978, and a recreation of a 1789 lovefeast ode at the 1996 Moravian Music Festival. In 1995, the chorale produced a recording of hymns from the 1995 Moravian Book of Worship. In conjunction with Old Salem, Inc., the Chorale produced a CD of Christmas music in 2006.
Past conductors of the ensemble have included names such as Karl Kroeger, Karoly Köpe, and Jim Bates. In 2008, Jayson Snipes was appointed the music director of the Chorale and Scott Rainey the accompanist. Generally rehearsing once per month, the chorale prepares music for presentations 2-3 times per year. In 2009, the Chorale was the Monday evening featured presentation of the 23rd Moravian Music Festival in Belmont, NC.
The Chorale is an SATB mixed chorus open to anyone who would like to sing. Rehearsals are generally on the fourth Tuesday of the month, with some additons and exceptions. For more information, email music director Jayson Snipes at moramus@mac.com.
Jayson Alan Snipes, a native of Winston-Salem, NC, received the B.M. in Music Education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is currently pursuing the M.M. in Choral Conducting. He studied organ with John and Margaret Mueller, John E. Mitchener, and Robert Burns King; voice with Ellen Linton and Levone Tobin-Scott; and conducting with Carole J. Ott, Welborn E. Young, and William P. Carroll. Jayson has served as organist of Friedland Moravian and Mount Tabor United Methodist Churches in Winston-Salem. Currently, Jayson is the Director of Music at Maple Springs United Methodist Church and will be teaching the Men’s Glee Club at UNC Greensboro for the 2011-2012 school year. A life-long Moravian, Jayson takes particular interest in the history and study of Moravian music, and has been a music editor for the Moravian Music Foundation since 2003 where his editions have been published and performed or recorded in several US States. He was also a music editor for Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc., an organ music publisher in Colfax, NC. In July 2011, Jayson was the guest organist for the Midwest Music Fest in Lake Mills, Wisconsin.
The Executive Committee
Carol Southerland, President Matthew Allen, Tenor
Paddy Wigney, Soprano Loren Little, Bass
Jayson Snipes, Music Director Raymond Ebert, Jr., Accompanist
