Rocky Mountain Chamber Singers Founder to Retire; Conducts Farewell Concerts

Ann Bunyan, founder, and director of Rocky Mountain Chamber Singers (RMCS), will retire this spring at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 concert season.

Bunyan founded RMCS in 1988 and has served as its director for the past 34 years, except for a sabbatical in the early 2000s. Under her direction, RMCS has become Northern Colorado’s premier chamber choir with a reputation for outstanding skill and varied programs featuring selections from nearly every musical style, genre, and era.

“I am proud of the Chamber Singers’ high level of musicality, as well as the camaraderie and support the singers give to each other through laughter, kind words, and hard work,” said Bunyan. “I am grateful to have directed RMCS; it has been the musical highlight of my career.”

Bunyan will conduct her farewell RMCS concert, Blue Skies, this month:

• Sunday, April 24, 3 pm – Redeemer Lutheran Church, 7755 Greenstone Trail, Fort Collins

o   There will be a reception immediately following the performance to celebrate Bunyan’s tenure with RMCS.

• Friday, April 29, 7 pm – Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 1200 S. Taft Hill Road, Fort Collins

The program will feature RMCS’ signature eclectic fare, including Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” Whitaker’s “Alleluia,” and the jazz standard “Blue Skies.”

Tickets to both performances are $18 for adults, $5 for students and children, and are available for purchase at rockymountainchambersingers.org or at the door. RMCS will also perform an abbreviated program Sunday, May 1 at 3 pm at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 1535 Logan St., Denver. Admission is free.

Ann hails from North Syracuse, New York, where she studied piano and flute, performing the Mozart Flute Concerto in D with the Syracuse Symphony as a high school senior.  She received her Bachelor of Music in Piano from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Potsdam.  While singing in the chorus that performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the summers, she taught introductory conducting at the Saratoga-Potsdam Choral Institute.  Ann received a Master of Music in choral conducting from Southern Methodist University (SMU) under the tutelage of Lloyd Pfautsch. As a Teaching Assistant directing the Women’s Choir at the University of Texas at Austin, she pursued a doctorate in choral conducting under the direction of Dr. Morris Beachy.

Ann met the Rev. Sathi Bunyan at SMU and, two years later, married in India. They have three children and four grandchildren.  Ann was Director of Choirs at All Saints Episcopal Church, Loveland for 29 years before she and Sathi, who was rector, retired.

A cappella music is Ann’s forte, for it is the best medium to reveal all the nuances of a choir, from diction to dynamics and phrasing. She is known for her varied concert selections from the Renaissance to modern music, including light jazz and pop styles. Ann offers an eclectic program, knowing that various styles speak to different people, but she always emphasizes musicality, diction, dynamics, and excellence in performance.

Director Ann Bunyan founded the Rocky Mountain Chamber Singers in Loveland, Colorado in 1988, to bring a cappella choral music to northern Colorado. The group enjoys performing a great variety of styles, from the Renaissance masters through folk songs from around the world, to modern doo-wop, jazz, barbershop and pop/rock. The Chamber Singers revel in the breadth and variety of this literature, which requires an ear for many different styles and a dedication to precision and blend. RMCS has performed throughout the region and has represented Colorado at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Audience members have raved, “Your selection of pieces is inspired!” and “Such wonderful blend and diction.” Reviews have praised the “…astounding display of virtuosity in technique, execution, style and versatility” and “…exact phrasing, excellent diction, impeccable intonation and a thorough knowledge of every style.”

Recordings include RMCS A Cappella!, Christmas with the Chamber Singers, Go Tell It On The Mountain, and Best of the Rocky Mountain Chamber Singers.