Evening Events

In addition to a variety of learning opportunities, the 2025 conference features a number of musically satisfying and edifying evening events which are sure to inspire.

The Raleigh Ringers

Under the direction of David M. Harris, The Raleigh Ringers has released eight CDs, and two DVDs of holiday concerts titled One Winter Evening at Meymandi and A December Tradition. Two one-hour concert specials were created from the first DVD and broadcast on over 250 American Public Television stations in 45 states. A new, one-hour holiday special based on the second DVD aired over 400 times in 38 states in its first year of national distribution. The group has performed in 39 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, England and France during its tours, and plays two dates each year at a major venue in Raleigh. The Raleigh Ringers also sponsors an annual festival for adult ringers, an annual festival for youth and less experienced ringers, biannual sight-reading sessions for those interested in new handbell music, a biennial performance experience for advanced ringers, and handbell techniques classes several times a year.

Hymn Festival

On Wednesday evening, Tom Trenney and VOCES8, our Ensemble-in-Residence, will lead a hymn festival at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, NC. One of our two grand spaces for the week, the Cathedral is a recent addition to Raleigh and boasts amazing acoustics for singing.

VOCES8

Our final “wow” moment of the week will be a concert presented by the ensemble-in-residence VOCES8. Since its inception in 2005, VOCES8 has performed at many notable venues including Wigmore Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique Paris, Vienna Konzerthaus, Tokyo Opera City, NCPA Beijing, Sydney Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall Singapore, Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City amongst many others. This season they perform over 100 concerts around the world, their 20th Anniversary season, including a birthday celebration concert at the Barbican, London.

They have collaborated in concert and in the recording studio with musicians including Paul Simon, Jacob Collier, Eric Whitacre, Christopher Tin, Olafur Arnalds, Cody Fry, Rachel Podger, Jack Liebeck, Bomsori Kim, Jonathan Dove, Chanticleer, The King’s Singers, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and others.