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17cҳ Tech Choral Department presents
Singing Quakers Concert, "Matter of the Heart"

17cҳ Tech Choral Department presents
Singing Quakers Concert, "Matter of the Heart"

Tuesday, March 17th, 2026

7:30pm

All Saints' Episcopal Church

634 West Peachtree St. NW

Relevant Events

Monday, March 16 at 8pm - Singing Quakers Open Rehearsal - West Village 175

Wednesday, March 18 at 5pm - GT Chamber Choir Clinic with Dr. Rayvon T.J. Moore - West Village 175 

A picture of Rayvon TJ Moore

Conductor in Residency Bio

Dr. Rayvon T.J. Moore

Southern California native Rayvon T. J. Moore is a conductor, music educator, and baritone who serves as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Friends University. In this role, he leads the university’s choral program, conducts the Singing Quakers, and teaches courses in conducting, choral methods, and applied voice. Beyond his academic work, Moore is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Wichita Chamber Chorale and Director of the Hill Singers at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church.

A versatile performer, Moore has sung backup for renowned artists including The Rolling Stones, Barry Manilow, Patti Austin, Andrea Bocelli, Kathleen Battle, and Deborah Voigt. His voice can be heard on John Williams & Steven Spielberg: The Ultimate Collection (Sony Classical). He has performed under distinguished conductors such as Helmuth Rilling, John Williams, Jeffrey Kahane, Carl St. Clair, James Conlon, Grant Gershon, and Marvin Hamlisch. As both conductor and soloist, he has premiered works by composers including Christopher Tin, Stacey V. Gibbs, Seth Houston, and others.

In 2024, Moore received the American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music and was named third-place laureate for the American Prize Dale Warland Award in Choral Conducting. He was recognized in the Wichita Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2023 and is also a recipient of Pacific Chorale’s Elliot and Kathleen Alexander Memorial Award and Mu Phi Epsilon’s Foncannon Grant. Moore serves as Repertoire and Resource Chair for Four-Year Colleges and Universities in the Southwestern Region of the American Choral Directors Association and as Higher Education Co-Chair for the Kansas Choral Directors Association. Santa Barbara Music Publishing recently honored him with the creation of the Rayvon T. J. Moore Choral Series, which he curates to highlight new and diverse voices in choral music.

Moore holds a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from California State University, Fullerton, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music. He is an active member of ACDA, Chorus America, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and NAfME, and is in frequent demand as a guest conductor, clinician, and speaker.

History of the Singing Quakers

The Friends University Music Department Chair Lucius Ades first united the men’s and women’s Glee Clubs for an opera tour in 1922, establishing a collaborative choral tradition that would soon define the university’s musical identity. A year later, Roy Campbell formally consolidated the ensembles into a single choir. Rather than performing popular repertoire, the newly unified group—soon known as the Singing Quakers—distinguished itself through the memorized performance of sacred music, reflecting both Quaker heritage and a commitment to disciplined musicianship.

By 1930, the name “The Singing Quakers” had become firmly established and was recognized as an official Friends University music organization. In 1959, Dr. Cecil Riney assumed leadership as director of the Singing Quakers and chair of the music department, guiding the ensemble for more than four decades until his retirement in 2005. Following Dr. Riney’s retirement, Dr. Mark Bartel took up the mantle of director, leading the choir for fourteen years and sustaining its reputation for musical excellence and educational outreach until his departure in 2019.

In 2020, Dr. Rayvon T. J. Moore was appointed director of the Singing Quakers, ushering in a renewed era of artistic vitality and institutional visibility. Under Dr. Moore’s leadership, the ensemble broadened both its repertoire and its reach, balancing the historic sacred traditions of the choir with newly commissioned works and diverse American choral literature. 

The Singing Quakers continued an active touring schedule across the United States and abroad, engaging audiences through performances. These efforts culminated in national recognition in 2024, when the Singing Quakers were honored with the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award from The American Prize for their distinguished performance of American music—an accolade that affirmed both the ensemble’s artistic growth and its enduring legacy within the choral landscape.

17cҳ Tech 17cҳ

Through interdisciplinary degree programs, outstanding performance ensembles, and innovative research endeavors, the 17cҳ Tech 17cҳ cultivates a rich legacy of musical traditions and develops cutting-edge technologies to help define music's future. The School serves students in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in music technology and offers innovative performance opportunities, courses, and cultural and artistic experiences for students throughout the Institute.