Here they are again rehearsing. It takes practice and hard work to sound this good!

The Choir

Meet the people behind the choir…

James Klein, Artistic Director

Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Choral Music and Piano Performance from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD, and a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from the University of Iowa. He taught secondary choral music in Iowa for seven years and was the Minister of Music at American Lutheran Church in Huron, SD from 1978-1990.

From 1990-2016 Jim served as full-time Minister of Music at American Lutheran Church in Prescott where he directed seven vocal choirs, five handbell choirs, and various instrumental ensembles. He conducted the Yavapai College Master Chorale from 1993-2007, leading the Chorale on three international tours to Central Europe in 1998, Italy in 2002, and Scandinavia in 2007.

He and his wife Eileen, who served with him as organist in his church positions, are officially retired, but they are not REALLY retired! Besides serving as Artistic Director of Camerata Chamber Singers (CCS), Jim sings in the YC Master Chorale and St. Luke’s Choir, directs the Ringers of St. Luke’s handbell choir, High Desert Ringers (advanced community handbell choir), and plays piano/keyboard for the Prescott Pops Symphony. He is also arranger and advisor for Eine Kleine Freunden Musik (EKFM), a four-person ensemble of handbells, vocals, and piano, that has provided music for area worship services, both live and virtually during the pandemic.

Jim and Eileen have two children, Eric and Julie, and three grand dogs, Bill and Ted, Paddles, and Ripley. They also are proud owners of Marco, a sweet Maltipoo who provides daily entertainment.

Eileen Klein, Accompanist

Eileen Klein received a B.A. degree in Sociology from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, where she also studied organ with Dr. Mary Helen Schmidt. She has served as organist and choir accompanist since 10th grade in churches in rural Brookings, SD; Sioux Falls, SD; Sibley and Forest City, IA; Huron, SD; and American Lutheran Church here in Prescott for 26 years.

She has led numerous workshops on organ literature, technique, and worship planning, served as accompanist for various community choirs, PFA concerts, and the Yavapai College Master Chorale under both Jim Klein’s and Dennis Houser’s direction. Major works that she has accompanied are Requiems composed by Gabriel Faure, John Rutter, Maurice Durufle, Malcolm Archer, Johannes Brahms, as well as Handel’s Messiah. In addition, she performed Handel’s Organ Concerto 0p. 4/4 with the Yavapai College Community Orchestra under conductor Rich Longfield.

She is enjoying retirement, serving as substitute organist at various churches in the Prescott area.

Our Singers…

Sue Boyce

Sue Boyce

Soprano

Sue Boyce has a sociology degree from Albion College and a degree in music history from the University of Michigan. She has sung in church choirs and semi-professional choral groups her entire life. Since moving to Prescott in 2010, Sue has sung with Master Chorale, Prescott Chorale, Camerata Singers ( of which she is the only remaining founding member), and Eine Kleine Freunden Musik, as well as multiple church choirs. Sue currently studies voice with Deborah Raymond in Flagstaff.
Linda Hoover

Linda Hoover

Soprano

Linda Hoover is a lifelong lover of all things music! She is a graduate of Ithaca College School of Music with degrees in Vocal Performance and K-12 Music Education. Linda’s first love was musical theatre and lucked into several dozen much-coveted roles. Linda has been featured as a soprano soloist with various groups, among them the Southwest Consort led by Joseph Place, Camerata Singers directed by Dan Boyce, and the Prescott Chorale under the baton of Dennis Houser. Linda currently serves in music ministry with Mountain Reformed Church and Trinity Presbyterian Church. While music holds a special place in her heart, nothing makes Linda happier than time spent with her beautiful husband, children and grandchildren.

Sopranos

Sue Boyce
Linda Hoover
Staci Knotek
Pat McCarver
Diane Thornbrugh

Staci Knotek

Staci Knotek

Soprano

Stacia (Staci) Knotek is a retired Elementary teacher of 31 years and now a local Real Estate Agent. She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN with majors in Elementary Education and in Music. She earned her MA in Elementary Education at NAU. She has been involved in church choir, Master Chorale, and Yavapai College Choir throughout her 31 years in Prescott. She enjoys playing the piano and has accompanied various groups throughout her life.
Patricia McCarver, PhD

Patricia McCarver, PhD

Soprano

Patricia McCarver has lived in Prescott since 1989. She has sung with Yavapai College Master Chorale since 1991. Pat has been a featured soprano soloist for performances of Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, John Rutter’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat in D, Faure’s Requiem and Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Vesperae solennes de confessore. Pat has sung with the Camerata Chamber Singers since 2017.
Diane Thornbrugh

Diane Thornbrugh

Soprano

Diane Thornbrugh holds a Masters in Business with a Music Minor. She is retired with a career in Finance, and currently Camerata Treasurer. Diane currently sings with Womansong, CCS, Arizona Musicfest, and Yavapai College Master Chorale. Other past choral affiliations include Prescott Chorale, and Santa Clara Chorale in California. Diane plays the piano for home enjoyment, has a passion for gardening, is a volunteer Master Gardener with Yavapai County extension office and Sharlot Hall Museum garden.
Gayle Gregory, M.D.

Gayle Gregory, M.D.

Alto

Gayle is a child/adolescent psychiatrist practicing at Ponderosa Pediatrics in Prescott. In her youth she played the oboe. She has sung with YC Master Chorale and Renaissance Choir, and Prescott Chorale. Currently ringing with 2 handbell choirs, she has also performed with smaller handbell ensembles. She loves hiking in the forests surrounding Prescott.
Ember Larson

Ember Larson

Alto

Ember Larson is a classically trained vocalist, music educator, and lifelong singer-songwriter. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Music Education from ASU. Ember is the director of the choral union and guitar program at Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley and has sung with several choirs including the Master Chorale, YC Chamber Singers, and Angelorum. In addition, Ember performs as a singer-songwriter and teaches songwriting at ASU during the summers.

Altos

Gayle Gregory
Ember Larson
Melanie McCally
Helen McDowell
Katie Staudt

Melanie McCally

Melanie McCally

Alto

Melanie McCally moved to Prescott in 2013 and jumped right in the music scene, singing with YC Master Chorale, POPS Symphony chorus, and more. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from BYU-Idaho, and teaches piano and voice from home. Her favorite solo opportunities have been singing Bach, Mozart, and Hasse with Prescott Chorale, as well as the divine Faure Requiem solo “Pie Jesu” with YC Master Chorale. She conducts the Prescott Chorale Children’s Choir, and currently sings with the Prescott Chorale and YC Women’s Chorale. She keeps busy homeschooling, bowling every week with her husband, and keeping up with her 3 energetic children.
Helen McDowell

Helen McDowell

Alto

For this early childhood teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, music goes beyond the auditory experience to visual and sign language interpretation of melody and lyric. Helen uses her love of music, as expressed through her involvement in instrumental and vocal ensembles since childhood, to develop language skills with the children with whom she works.
Katie Staudt

Katie Staudt

Alto

Katie Staudt initially studied the clarinet and piano. Handbells and chimes are her current instrumental focus, which she plays in Eine Kleine Freunden Musik, High Desert Ringers, St. Luke’s Bell Choir, and as a soloist. Her family moved to Prescott 6 years ago in their 11th move. She holds a BA in Elementary Education with a specialization in reading and is the current vice-president of CCS. She playfully tells others that music, knitting, and weaving help keep her out of trouble.
Ryan Gastonguay

Ryan Gastonguay

Tenor

Prescott native Ryan Gastonguay wears many different hats in the musical realm: sacred, choral, chamber, orchestral, conducting, brass, barbershop, wind band, you name it! He is a well-known face on the scene in our quad cities area. Ryan currently serves as the Minister of Music for Mountain Reformed Church as well as being the Associate Music Director/Conductor for the Prescott Pops. He is a proud Sun Devil alumnus, having earned his Bachelor’s from Arizona State University.
Jacob Gilbert

Jacob Gilbert

Tenor

Originally from North Carolina, Jacob earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he studied voice and organ. After graduating, he began working at Prescott United Methodist Church as the Director of Music and serves as the Assistant Director of the Prescott Chorale.

Tenors

Ryan Gastonguay
Jacob Gilbert
Timothy Jordheim
Russ Parker
Bill Wollam

Timothy Jordheim

Timothy Jordheim

Tenor

In the late 1960s in a small town in western Minnesota an amazing school music program planted in Tim the seed of love of classical music and of singing. This was followed by a hiatus or germination period of 46 years, but when he and his wife Mary arrived in Prescott in late 2016 Tim joined the Unity Church choir and that seed began to grow. Since retiring from his IT career, Tim has sung with the Yavapai College Master Chorale the past several years, that growth has blossomed, and singing has become a beloved and essential part of Tim’s life. He is very grateful for this and excited to have the opportunity to sing and grow further with the Camerata Chamber Singers.
Russ Parker

Russ Parker

Tenor

Phoenix born, Prescott raised, Flagstaff degreed, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and Masters in Music Education from Northern Arizona University. In 2001, After a 35 year career in music education he and his wife moved back to Arizona. Shortly after his wife’s passing in 2006 he joined the Chamber Singers at Yavapai College. In 2014 he joined the Prescott Chorale for their tour of France, later to Spain, Portugal and Eastern Europe. Soon after joining Prescott Chorale he joined the Camerata Singers. In the interim he also toured with The Shrine of the Ages Choir, directed by Dr. Edith Copely to Carnegie Hall, NY as well as New Zealand and Australia. He’s happy to be back where he grew up and attended local schools in Prescott.
Bill Wollam

Bill Wollam

Tenor

Bill has been singing in church choirs most of his adult life and has been a guitar player and vocalist since his early teen years. Bill and his wife Pat moved to Prescott in 2004 and after retiring from a career in the computer industry in 2013, began singing with the YC performing arts Community Chorus and the YC Master Chorale. Bill also has been a singer with the Prescott Pops Chorus since retirement. He performed in his first stage musical in YC’s production of Phantom of the Opera in 2019. He is excited to be singing with such a talented group of singers as the Camerata Chamber Singers.
Joshua Harper, D.Mus

Joshua Harper, D.Mus

Bass

Dr. Joshua Harper enjoys a multifaceted career as a Conductor, Tenor, and Educator. He is the Director of Choral Activities at Yavapai College. Harper is a Guest Conductor with the Arizona Philharmonic and founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Professional Chorus, Quartz Ensemble. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, he holds the Doctor of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. Read more at JoshuaHarper.Instantencore.com.

Sandy Johnson

Sandy Johnson

Bass

Born in Phoenix, Sandy is a 5th generation Arizonan who grew up on a 1000 acre ranch outside of Chandler, AZ. He graduated from ASU with a degree in Marketing in 1970. While still in college, Sandy joined Motorola Semiconductor Corp in 1966 where he ultimately spent his entire career until his retirement in 2001. Sandy always enjoyed music and started singing and playing various musical instruments at an early age. In addition to the Camerata Chamber Singers, he’s also a member of the Pops Symphony Chorus and Prescott Chorale.

Basses

Joshua Harper
Sandy Johnson
Jim McCarver
Craig Ralston
John Thompson

James McCarver, M.D.

James McCarver, M.D.

Bass

Jim is a physician in practice in Prescott for over 40 yrs. He has had a lifelong interest in music. He has sung in Master Chorale at Yavapai College for 20+ years, he recently performed in the musical “Beauty and the Beast” at PCA. He has been a member of Camerata for several years. Singing and strumming in a local ukulele group has been a fun musical outlet for him. Other interests include competitive cycling and volunteering at Sharlot Hall Museum.
Craig Ralston, DMA

Craig Ralston, DMA

Bass

Dr. Craig John Ralston is the Dean of Performing Arts at Yavapai College and Director of Programming and Development of the YC Performing Arts Center. He has enjoyed a 35 year career in music as a performer, professor, conductor, director, composer and administrator. He is thrilled to be a part of Camerata this season and to sing alongside Prescott’s finest singers. He has written and published numerous choral works, believing that the voice and the chorale experience is paramount in our human musical experience.
John Thompson, M.D.

John Thompson, M.D.

Bass

John specializes in family medicine and addiction medicine. Husband to Gayle Gregory, he is father of four and grandfather of one. He loves hiking and trail-running. In earlier life chapters he’s been a rock-climber, country doc, home-schooler, Bob Dylan wannabe with guitar and harmonica, and violinist through high school. He’s sung with the Carolyn Eynon Singers and Prescott Chorale and is a novice handbell ringer.

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