About the Memphis Chorale
Gabriel Statom, Artistic Director, studied at the University of Mississippi, Princeton University, Westminster Choir College, Florida State University and The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. He founded the Memphis Chorale, Memphis Masterworks Chorale and the Second Conservatory of Music. Gabriel is the author of Practice for Heaven: Music for Worship that Aims Higher and soon will release J.S. Bach: The Church Musician. Gabe served as Director of Music at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis and Director of Music/Organist at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Wales, FL where he was also Artistic Director of the Lake Wales Chorale and Musical Director for the Bach Festival of Central Florida. Under his direction, his choirs have presented concerts throughout the world including Argentina, Italy, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Carnegie Hall, and the Piccolo Spolleto Festival in Charleston, SC. Dr. Statom has studied conducting with conductors such as Robert Shaw, Andre Thomas, John Rutter, Jerry Jordan and David Willcocks.
Rachel Hall Baronowski, alto, is a resident of Collierville, Tennessee, where she is currently a member of the Collierville United Methodist Church choir. She is a graduate of Collierville High School, where she sang in the varsity choir as well as the jazz choir. Her love for music started at a young age, and she has performed in a variety of ways throughout her life: singing in musicals, with choirs, for local bands, and in numerous weddings. Rachel works for Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc. which publishes the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
David Dennis, baritone, is a professor of music at Union University where he conducts the women's choir, Cantilena, and teaches courses in music theory and applied piano. An accomplished pianist, Dr. Dennis has performed solo piano recitals throughout the south and mid-Atlantic region. He holds a DMA in piano performance where he studied under Ron Boud and Maurice Hinson. Additional piano study has been with Thomas Schumacher and Adele Marcus. Dr. Dennis has a strong interest in church music and in choral music education. Much of his energy is devoted to vocal development and the art of the choral rehearsal. He has served numerous churches as interim or part-time music director, most recently at Second Baptist in Memphis, Tennessee. He is delighted to be a part of the Memphis Chorale.
Brooks Gatlin, bass, graduated from Harding University in 2008 with a B.A. in Vocal Performance, and has been a music educator in Alabama and Tennessee since 2009. He currently serves as the Choir Director at Harding Academy in Memphis. Before joining the Memphis Chorale, Mr. Gatlin has sung with the Memphis Masterworks Chorale and Laudis Domini in Memphis, and with with mens’ ensemble Encore! in Montgomery, AL. In addition to teaching and singing locally, Mr. Gatlin is also a member of the 106th Army Band of the Arkansas National Guard since 2014.
Rebecca Hutchins, soprano, is choir section leader at Farmington Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Tennessee. In addition, she works as a contract voiceover specialist and a lawyer. She holds three degrees from the University of Mississippi: a B.A. in Psychology, a J.D. from the School of Law and an M.F.A. in Theatre with an emphasis in Directing. She was the first Vocal Performance major at Ole Miss to be awarded a full scholarship. As such, she traveled worldwide with the international award winning Ole Miss Concert Singers. Rebecca has performed on both the operatic and musical theatre stages as well as singing backup for the R&B band, The Velvetones. Rebecca lives on her family farm in Red Banks, Mississippi with husband, Scott, her daughter, Simone and her identical twin sister, Sandy.
Chris Luter, baritone, is Associate Director of Theatre at Collierville High School where he teaches classes in theatre production, film history, and introduction to theatre. Previously he was Director of Theatre at Cordova High School for 16 years. He holds a B.A. in Theatre and Music from Rhodes College and a M.Ed. from Union University. Chris has been recognized by Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts as Theatre Teacher of the Year. His productions have been named Best Production at the TN Theatre Association One-Act Festival (5 times) and at the Orpheum Theatre’s High School Musical Theatre Awards. Chris is married to Rebecca and runs a taxi service for his kids, Nicholas and Elizabeth.
Rebecca Luter, alto, is pastor of Farmington Presbyterian Church in Germantown, TN, where she has served since April 2014. Prior to coming to FPC, she served as Lead Associate at Germantown United Methodist Church (2000-2014). She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and completed her undergraduate work at Rhodes College, where she majored in biology. Rebecca and her husband, Chris, have two children, Nicholas who is 13 and Elizabeth who is 10. She is involved in the community as a member of the Memphis Chorale, the 2011 Class of Leadership Germantown. She has also sung with Mastersingers’ Chorale and served on the PTA Board of Germantown Elementary School.
Ruth McFall, alto, is from Collierville, TN, and is a landscaper with Don McFall Landscape Company. Though not formally trained beyond high school chorus and varsity choir (“Southern Exposure”), she has, whenever possible, informally sought to broaden and grow vocally. Most recently, Ruth participated in musical productions with the Harrell Theatre, sings with the Collierville United Methodist Church Choir, and she is thrilled to also be singing now with The Memphis Chorale.
Alyce Tarver, soprano, is a graduate of the University of Memphis with her Masters in Vocal Pedagogy, where she studied with Susan Owen-Leinert. Alyce is a section leader at Idlewild Presbyterian Church where she has performed several J. S. Bach cantatas as a soloist. Alyce was cast in the University of Memphis Opera production "The Beggar's Opera" by Benjamin Britten as Polly Peachum and Adele in "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss II. She has also sung as Miss Pinkerton in "The Old Maid and the Thief" in a young artist program in Aveiro, Portugal. Alyce has performed with Opera Memphis in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" and Verdi's "La Traviata" in the chorus. Alyce teaches voice and piano at Cordova Music Academy.
Blaine Tooley, tenor, is a native of Collierville, TN and serves as Director of Worship at Collierville United Methodist Church. He holds a B.A. in music from Austin Peay State University and an M.M. in Choral Conducting from The University of Tennessee Chattanooga. He has appeared as a featured soloist with the Chattanooga Bach Choir and regularly appears with Voci Virilli Men’s Consort and The Tennessee Chamber Chorus, a professional choir based in Cleveland, TN. Blaine has served churches throughout TN and MS and everyday lives out his personal mission of helping people of all ages explore, develop and share their artistic gifts.
Philip Walkley, bass, holds a B.A. in Music from the University of Mississippi where he co-founded and co-directed Blue Ten Harmony, an all male a cappella group that toured extensively in the southeast United States. Before joining the Memphis Chorale Philip sang in several other ensembles in Memphis including Rhodes Master Singers, BealeCanto, and Laudis Domini. In addition, Philip served as the founder and artistic director for the Binghampton Community Choir in Memphis, TN from 2012-2014. Philip currently serves as the Executive Director of Service Over Self (SOS), a nonprofit home repair organization in Memphis, TN.
B.J. Webster, soprano, attended the University of Central Arkansas and received her Bachelor's in Music Education. She studied under Dr. Martha Antolik. At UCA, B.J. performed as Isabel/Madeline in "Face on the Barroom Floor" by Henry Mollicone. She also performed in the world premier of Lori Laitman's "The Scarlett Letter." She also attended Ouachita Baptist University and studied under Cindy Fuller. While at Ouachita Baptist, B.J. performed as the Third Lady in Mozart's "The Magic Flute." B.J. has also performed in musicals at her home church, Second Presbyterian, in Little Rock, AR. These include "The Music Man", where she played Amaryllis, and sang chorus roles in "Godspell," "Children of Eden," and "Bye, Bye, Birdie." B.J. has also travelled the globe singing with her college and church choirs, going to Germany, France, Austria, Hungry, and Argentina. She recently performed in Messiah as soprano soloist with The Memphis Masterworks Chorale.
Tucker Williams, tenor, is from Memphis, TN and currently sings with the choirs at Second Presbyterian. He first attended Overton High School where he was a member of the regular choir, chamber choir, and jazz choir and also sang backup for their show choir. During that time, he also participated in the All-West and All-State Honors Choirs as first chair, Tenor II for both choirs. For his senior year, though, he attended Interlochen Center for the Arts for vocal performance, after which he went on to attend New England Conservatory in the same field. Along the way he has taken part in various musicals and operas and has sung with the Memphis Symphony Chorus, Memphis Masterworks Chorale, and Laudis Domini.