A musical debut

By Dean Poling

May 16, 2008 10:53 pm

— VALDOSTA — David Lee Johnson is a name synonymous throughout South Georgia with musical excellence. Now he leads a singing group whose name literally means “without name” making its debut this weekend.
Johnson is the founder and director of the Sine Nomine Singers of Valdosta, and he is joined as an accompanist by Susan B. Johnson.
“The Sine Nomine Singers were created to provide choral opportunities and present challenging choral literature to local singers,” Johnson notes. “The SNS increases the awareness and appreciation of sacred and secular choral works through promotion of area talent, innovative programming, and collaborative performances with other artists. There are no auditions. Membership is by invitation only.”
With Johnson overseeing those invitations, it should ensure that the Sine Nomine Singers keeps to its goal: “To produce the highest caliber of choral singing and strive to present varied and challenging choral works.”
For its Inaugural Concert, the SNS is scheduled to present Tomas Luis da Victoria’s and Aleksander S. Vujic’s variations of “Ave Maria,” Charles Villers Stanford’s “Beati Quorum Via,” Daniel Pinkham’s “In the Beginning,” James Quitman Muholland’s “Gloria,” Norman Luboff’s “Much Ado Bout Nothings” (“Something Lovely,” “Punctuality,” “Prayer,” “Age Before Beauty,” “A Fool,” “My Aunt,” “Love,” “Tally Ho,” “That’s All”), a set of folk songs, Zoltan Kodaly’s “Laudes Organi” with Karen Sturdivent as organist.
SNS members. Soprano: Donna Farwell, Sara Hatchett, Allison Riddles, Sue Ellen Rumstay, Marti Schert. Alto: Linda Carruth Davis, Jane Kinney, Lauren Miller, Erin Palmer, Mara Register. Baritone: Marvin Bruch, Tony Crosby, Daniel Mills, Tobias Mostel, Lester Williams. Bass: Philip Barr, David Boyd, Andrew Hill, Ron Hatchett, Frank Kilgard, David Register.
Johnson is retired from VSU Music, where he served as department head, choral director, and professor.
With his fine baritone voice, he regularly performs with the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra and other groups.

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