Where music is made …
History
Timpanogos Chorale is dedicated to serving our communities by creating opportunities for Chorale members to experience beautiful, fun, and inspiring choral music from diverse cultures and genres while providing an encouraging environment in which our members can develop greater musical appreciation, talents and skills – and presenting such music to our local communities.
The Timpanogos Chorale was originally called the American Fork Civic Choir. It has also been called the American Fork Community Choir and the North Utah County Community Choir, among other names. It started back in 1963 under the direction of Kenneth J. Bird, who also directed the American Fork City Band. The local organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had disbanded larger, regional choirs in order to encourage support for local congregation choirs. City Councilman F. Haw Durfey, later a prominent mayor of American Fork, asked the disheartened choir members if they would like to form the American Fork Civic Choir.
And thus it began. Alpine School District agreed to let them practice in the chorale room at the high school. By 1969 there were 80 members.
The choir has performed at the Golden Spike Centennial celebration, in the Tabernacle on Temple Square, at the Provo Tabernacle Chorale Festival, at the West Valley Multi-Choir Festival in West Jordan, and in many surrounding Utah communities. Timpanogos Chorale, in its various incarnations, has enjoyed the directorship of Dale Rasmussen, Paul Mortensen, Annette Anderson, Kathy Jolley, Merilee Barrett Hunter, Kenna Mills, Brett Rasmussen, and now Andrew Wheelwright, among others. It has also enjoyed the accompaniment of some very talented pianists – among them, former city Councilwoman Heidi Rodeback.
Timpanogos Chorale would like to thank our current and former members for their contributions and hard work, the members of our community for their patronage, and especially our fiscal sponsor, Harrington Center for the Arts, for their continued support and guidance. We also humbly express our deep appreciation to the city of American Fork for their support through the Park, Arts, Recreation, and Culture grant program.
director: Andrew wheelwright
Assistant director: Morgan Hall
Accompanist: sheralyn hess
Program managers
President: Bruce Armstrong
Vice President: Debbi John
Secretary: Melody Paskett
Treasurer: Dan Roth
Funding Manager: Anita Hanson
Logistics Manager: Chandalyn Carr
Marketing Manager: Donalyn Ford
Membership Manager: Lynette Rushton
At Large: Laurie Patterson
Andrew Wheelwright started his musical career at the ripe old age of eight playing the role of Winthrop in Music Man. From there he went on to sing in several productions by the Santa Rosa Players including Mame, Scrooge, Half-past Wednesday, Brigadoon, and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. His first venture into opera was as Amahl in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors under the tutelage of Dan Earl. Andrew later began his study of choral conducting under Mr. Earl while singing in various choirs at Santa Rosa High School where he had the opportunity to direct the Men’s Chorus.
He furthered his training by studying conducting with Ronald Staheli at Brigham Young University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. While at BYU, Andrew studied a wide range of musical subjects including voice, composition, choral arranging, and orchestration. He also sang with the BYU Concert Choir under the direction of Mack Wilberg and the BYU Singers under the direction of Ronald Staheli.
Andrew continued to participate in choral music after college by singing in various community choirs including Seattle Pro Musica and the Wasatch Chorale. He starred in My Father’s Field, a musical about the colonization of the San Francisco Bay area produced in Oakland in 2011. Andrew has been a soloist in various choirs and was the Tenor soloist for the Redwood Empire Sing-Along Messiah. He’s also continued his love for Menotti’s Christmas operetta by singing the role of Melchior in the Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. Most recently, Andrew sang the Baritone solo for Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, also with the Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus.
Andrew is very passionate about bringing beautiful, powerful music to the community and has thoroughly enjoyed working with the enthusiastic singers of Timpanogos Chorale since January of 2015. He teaches private music lessons and supplements his music income by working as a software developer for FamilySearch International.