In the News

Resounding Harmony gives $25K to Children’s Medical Center, bestows Life Member Awards

Dallas Voice Online 07/13/2011

Check presentation. (Photo courtesy of Chad Whyrick)

Resounding Harmony awarded the Palliative Care Unit of Children’s Medical Center $25,275 on Monday. The money was raised from the chorus’s June 8 concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Each Resounding Harmony concert raises money for a different community organization.

The chorus also gave its first three Life Member Awards — to Timothy Seelig, Sam Caine and John Maloney. Seelig was the founder of the chorus who left Dallas late last year to become the new artistic director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Caine is the owner of Card Payment Systems in Frisco.

“He [Caine] has been a valuable asset to Resounding Harmony and through his company has made sure that the chorus has had reliable low cost credit card processing,” said Board Chair Mark Knight. “He has also been a major contributor to the chorus and its beneficiaries.”

Maloney is the owner of Maloney Strategic Communications in Dallas. He and his staff have provided all of the marketing and PR pieces for Resounding Harmony since its founding. “This includes all of our graphics and the award winning logo that we use today,” said Knight.

The 2012-13 season begins rehearsals on Sunday, Aug. 21 at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church. Auditions for new members will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22 at the church. Resounding Harmony’s fall concert on Tuesday, Nov. 22 will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the spring concert will benefit the American Heart Association.

Russ Rieger conducts the mixed-voice chorus for the first time as the new artistic director with June 8 concert

DAVID TAFFET | Staff Writer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Resounding Harmony begins a new chapter in its life when the chorus performs at the Meyerson Symphony Center on June 8 with new artistic director Russ Rieger conducting for the first time.

The mixed-voice group last performed in the fall before founder and original artistic director Tim Seelig left Dallas to conduct the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

Rieger was hired Jan. 1 to replace Seelig. Before his first rehearsal as director, he worried about how he would fill Seelig’s shoes.

“There’s no way anyone could fill those shoes,” he said. “The chorus presented me with a pair of new shoes so I didn’t have to fill Tim’s.”

Board Chair Mark Knight said they’re calling this Chapter Two for Resounding Harmony, but the transition has been an easy one.

Rieger, who has been the music minister of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church for 21 years, served as the principal accompanist for the Turtle Creek Chorale and Women’s Chorus of Dallas. He accompanied Resounding Harmony when they performed Sing for the Cure at Carnegie Hall last year.

“He’s played the organ for all of our concerts at the Meyerson,” Knight said.

Each of Resounding Harmony’s concerts is a benefit performance, which Knight calls musical philanthropy. This concert will support the Palliative Care program at Children’s Medical Center.

The concert is titled Born for Greatness, in honor of the children in the palliative care program, Rieger said.

“Greatness isn’t measured by the length of a child’s life, but by the impact the child makes on others,” Rieger said doctors who work in Children’s Hospital’s palliative care unit told him.

Performing with Resounding Harmony at the June 8 concert is Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Jana Stanfield. She has done programs for palliative care programs elsewhere and will perform her song, “Born for Greatness.”

Also appearing are dancers from the Academy of Dance from Allen who will accompany two of the songs.

Rieger said most of the music in the show will be inspirational. The first half closes with “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel. Another piece they’ll do is “He Ain’t Heavy … He’s My Brother.”

He said plans already are forming for the next two seasons. Next year, Seelig will be conducting Sing for the Cure in Atlanta and he has invited Resounding Harmony to join them.

Beneficiaries for next season’s concerts have been set. The November performance is for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the spring concert will benefit the American Heart Association.

Knight said they are working on a tour for the 2012-13 season.

Resounding Harmony performs at the Meyerson Symphony Center, June 8 at 8 p.m. $30-50. Tickets available on line at ResoundingHarmony.org.

For more information contact Mark Knight at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Gary Rifkin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or at www.resoundingharmony.org.