The Choir
Meet the people behind the choir…
Jacob Gilbert, Artistic Director
A native of Andrews, North Carolina, Jacob received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro. While in college, he studied voice, piano, and organ. He currently serves as the Director of Music Ministries at Prescott United Methodist Church in Prescott, Arizona, and is the new Artistic Director of the Camerata Chamber Singers.
Jacob has been a part of numerous choirs around the United States including the Bel Canto Company, Josquin de Prez Chamber Ensemble, Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, NAfME Honors Choir, and the ACDA Honors Choir, and Assistant Director of the Prescott Chorale. Jacob is also a member of NAfME, ACDA, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Janet Moore, Accompanist
Janet received a B.A. and M.A. in Music Education with a Piano Concentrate from Western New Mexico University and the University of New Mexico. In her lengthy career, she’s taught music to preschoolers through college, as well as keeping a studio of piano students. She also was a United Methodist Choir Director for 20 years, mostly in the Greater Seattle Area. Currently, Janet maintains a piano studio in Prescott Valley, and has been the Prescott United Methodist pianist and accompanist for 7 years.
Our Singers…
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.
Kristin Sargeant
Soprano
Kristin Sargeant moved to Prescott in 2022, and has since sung with Yavapai College Master Chorale and Prescott United Methodist Church Chancel Choir. She has been singing in choirs most of her life, including the St. James Episcopal Church Choir in San Diego and the Lutheran Church of Honolulu Choir. Kristin earned her master’s degree in history from UNC Chapel Hill, and is currently a middle and high school history teacher. She is excited for the opportunity to sing with Camerata Chamber Singers!
Sopranos
Patricia McCarver
Kristin Sargeant
Diane Thornbrugh
Stephanie Zeh
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.
Stephanie Zeh
Soprano
Stephanie Zeh is a coloratura soprano that has performed with many local ensembles including Prescott Chorale, Yavapai College’s Master Choir and PUMC’s Chancel Choir. She has also performed as Irene Molloy in Hello Dolly, Blanche Ingram in Jane Eyre and Ma Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life at Yavapai College.
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.
Marni Randle
Alto
Marni grew up in Oregon, singing and playing guitar at youth camp and singing in her church choir. Working for the airlines, she moved to Colorado where she sang with the Colorado Springs Chorale for eleven joyful years. Marni changed her career to the computer industry, teaching computer skills and administering office networks. For retirement, she chose Arizona and currently spends her time playing ukulele and singing with the Prescott Ukulele Guild.
Altos
Helen McDowell
Marni Randle
Dianne Tennant-Rucker
Dianne Tennant-Rucker
Alto
Dianne is a talented occupational therapist from Illinois with a deep love for music. She has sung in church choirs, performed with bands, and currently sings in multiple vocal groups, including the Yavapai Master Chorale, the PUMC chancel choir and the Kindred Sisters trio. She even had the opportunity to sing the Verdi Requium at Carnegie Hall last March. During her life she has shown a dedication to therapy and a passion for music.
Karen Thompson
Alto
Karen is pleased to have been invited to join the Camerata Chambers singers for their Fall concert. She jokes that she came out of the womb singing! Karen has lived in Prescott Valley for over 13 years and has sung with the Prescott Chorale, the Community & Master Chorales at Yavapai College and the Prescott POPS Symphony chorus. She is currently singing with the YC Master Chorale. In her free time, Karen likes to hike and spend time with her sister and her pups.
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.
Tenors
Joseph Jenkins
Timothy Jordheim
Joseph Jenkins
Tenor
Joe graduated from Wittenberg University with a degree in accounting and a minor in Voice where he sang with the Wittenberg Choir and Collegium Musicum. After moving to Baltimore with Arthur Andersen, he sang with the Baltimore Symphony, Handel Choir and other Various groups. He directed the Emory Methodist Church Choir for 25 years. He and his wife Jill moved to Prescott in 2014. He has sung with the Prescott Chorale for several years. This is his first concert with The Camerata Chamber Singers.
Dave Cavanaugh
Bass
Dave is a recently retired aerospace engineer with a lifelong interest in music. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry. He has sung with numerous performing choral groups over the years, beginning in college, including King’s Men in San Diego, the Sonoran Desert Chorale in Mesa, Orpheus Chorus in Phoenix, and the San Diego Master Chorale. He performs locally with guitar and vocals in a singer-songwriter style, and his new day job is Audible book narrator. He and his wife Marcia moved to Prescott from San Diego in early 2021. He is very happy to join this distinguished group of Singers in Prescott.
Basses
Dave Cavanaugh
Jim McCarver
Bill Wollam
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.
Bill Wollam
Bass
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.
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