Our Fabulous Staff!

Marcia Hendricks
Executive Director
Ms. Hendricks has served the organization for 23 years, first as a volunteer and board member, and then as a paid staff member.  Under her leadership the Children’s Chorale has realized nationwide and international recognition.  Along with the talented Children’s Chorale music staff, Ms. Hendricks has created and produced many of the Chorale’s popular programs such as the All-City Boychoir Festival, now in its 9th year; In Harmony International Music Festivals, now in its 5th season; and two Pikes Peak Center concerts each year.   Chorale outreach programs including the Adopt-a-School, Eastern Plains Youth Choir, and School Blitz days were a brainchild of Ms. Hendricks’ desire to position the Children’s Chorale to better serve the greater community.   Prior to her involvement with the CSCC, she owned and operated a successful event planning and floral design business.  Her work with children includes spearheading reading programs for elementary school children and serving as a Head Start and Get Set volunteer. Ms. Hendricks has served on many community non-profit boards including the Pikes Peak Arts Council; Arts, Business, and Education Consortium, Taylor Elementary School Advisory Council, Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble, and the committee to pass the Scientific and Cultural Arts Tax.  She currently serves on the Leadership Council of the Imagination Celebration, & the City of Colorado Springs Sister City Committee. Her memberships in professional organizations include the American Chorale Directors Association, Chorus America, and the Colorado Music Educator’s Association.  Recently, Ms Hendricks was honored to receive the Arts Leadership Award from the Pikes Peak Arts Council.  Ms. Hendricks is a Colorado Springs native and graduate of Palmer High School-Go Terrors!   Her immediate family includes her husband, Jim, two children who were former members of Children’s Chorale, a son-in-law, three beautiful grandchildren, and The Grannies. 

Lori Bammesberger
Pikes Peak Singers Conductor, Vocal Coach, & Music Administrator
Now in her ninth season with the Children’s Chorale, Lori is conductor of the Pikes Peak Singers, vocal coach, and music administrator, a position that includes coordinating the Chorale’s outreach programs. Lori’s choirs have performed at the CMEA conference at the Broadmoor and at the Colorado ACDA summer workshop in Denver.  She is the Children’s Choir R & S chair for the Colorado chapter of ACDA.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas and a Master’s in voice performance/opera from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.  She is also a private voice teacher and performer in Colorado Springs.  Lori has performed with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, the Colorado Opera Festival and Fort Worth Opera, and currently sings with Colorado Vocal Arts Ensemble.

Lynn Branford
Pikes Peak Singers Accompanist
Mrs. Lynn Branford attended the University of Northern Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education.  She retired from Colorado Springs School District 11 after 37 years of public teaching: six years at Heath Junior High School in Greeley, 23 years at Sabin Junior/Middle School in Colorado Springs and eight years at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs.  Her Sabin Chamber Singers performed at CMEA on four different occasions.  In 1998, Lynn accepted the position of Director of Choirs at Thomas B. Doherty High School where she was also the Department Chair of the Performing Arts Department.  Her Doherty High School Odyssey Chamber Singers performed at CMEA in 2001 and 2006 and at Lincoln Center in New York City in April 2003.  The Springs Singers of the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale, which Lynn conducted from 1991 to 2000, performed at CMEA in 1994.  In 2006 she re-joined the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale as the accompanist for the Springs Singers.  Lynn was president of the Colorado American Choral Directors Association from 2000–2003.  Additionally, she is a member of the American Choral Director’s Association, Music Educator’s National Conference, Colorado Music Educator’s Association, Colorado Music Adjudicator’s Association and the International Thespian Society.  Mrs. Branford serves Colorado as a choral clinician, adjudicator, director of Honor Choirs and All-State Choir judge.  In 1985, she had the honor of being Colorado Teacher of the Year from Colorado Springs and has been included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers on six separate occasions.  Lynn’s son is an alumnus of the Children’s Chorale.

Sandy Craddock
Dawn Singers Director
Sandy Craddock received her Bachelor of Music degree from Wichita State University and her Masters of Music from Brooklyn College with an emphasis in clarinet performance.  She has performed with the Wichita Symphony, Colorado Springs Symphony, Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Colorado Springs Music Theatre and Soundscapes:  Music of Our Time New Music Ensemble. Her latest adventure is playing Irish flute in the Celtic trio Swallowtail. She has taught at Riverdale Country Day School in New York City, Pikes Peak Community College and is currently teaching at Widefield Elementary School, the Visual and Performing Arts School for Widefield District 3.  She is excited to be working with the Dawn Singers and the Children’s Chorale staff.

Max Ferguson
Office Manager, Acting Coach & Choreographer
Max Ferguson is a Colorado Springs native and Children’s Chorale alumnus who is thrilled to be returning to the Chorale as a member of the staff.  After graduating from the Chorale, Max attended Wasson High school and was a mainstay in their theatrical productions throughout the late nineties.  In 2003 he graduated from Brandeis, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts with an emphasis in Acting.  Max made his professional debut at Actor’s Theater of Louisville during his apprenticeship there. He played the role of Oliver in Kid Simple: A Radio Play in the Flesh during the 2004 Humana Festival of New American Plays.  Following the completion of his year in Louisville, Max moved to New York City.  While in New York Max worked with companies like LaMAMA ECT and the Vortex theater company.  He played Valentine in the Vortex’s New York revival of Kiss of the Spider Woman.  Max has also been seen as Prince Charming on the Disney Magic Cruise Ship’s Mainstage Productions and as the Cheese Burger in a McDonalds ad campaign.  Max returned to Colorado Springs in 2009.  He was the technical director of the Wasson High School Arts Magnet during the Spring 2010 semester.  He has recently been seen playing Sydney Greenburg in Talk Radio and James Link in Glenngerry Glen Ross with Springs Ensemble Theatre.  During the 2010 season he will make his Fine Arts Center Rep company debut playing Lord Goring in An Ideal Husband and is looking forward to loads of fun as a Brother in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Max couldn’t be more excited at this opportunity to work with the amazing students of the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale and he looks forward to getting to know all of the Chorale community better.

Donna Gillespie
Program Assistant & Overture Assistant
Donna has been a parent member of the Children’s Chorale for many years.  Her three children sang with the Chorale and through their years she has had many opportunities as a Chorale volunteer.  She has served on the Parent Council as a Parent Representative as well as Co-Chairman.  Donna has been to every Chorale summer camp except two and regretted missing those.  She has particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to travel with the Chorale. Donna’s background is in children.  She graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master’s of Science in Speech Therapy and Elementary Education.  She taught reading and speech skills to children with special needs up until the time her children were born.  Since then Donna has tutored, taught after school classes, and volunteered at church, school and in the community.  She’s thrilled to be helping in the office and getting to know your children. Donna also assists with the Chorale’s new theatre class series.

Sherry Hoerl
Bookkeeper
Sherry Hoerl started her relationship with the Chorale in 1994 when her two daughters started singing as Dawn and Sunrise Singers (both continuing all the way through Summit).  She served in several positions on Parent Council including Uniform Coordinator and Secretary, and then became the Chorale Office Manager in February 2000.  In 2007, she semi-retired, and now happily comes into the office just a couple of days a week to do the bookkeeping, allowing her and husband, Don, to spend as much time as possible travelling to visit their kids.  Sherry has a B.S. from Valparaiso University, and her professional career has taken her from teacher to bank officer to non-profit administrator.

Sylvia Hutson
Marketing & Tickets Manager and Graphic Design
Sylvia has been a part of the Children’s Chorale family since 2000 as a part of the administrative staff, and also directed the Chorale’s Tuneful Trebles for 3 years.  Sylvia has a degree in Church Music from Barclay College.  She has directed the children’s and teen’s music programs at her church for 26 years, and taught music in Cheyenne Mountain District 12.  Her arts administration background includes work for the Colorado Springs Symphony, Colorado Opera Festival, Opera Theatre of the Rockies, and the Cucharra Music Festival. In addition to her duties here at the Children’s Chorale, she does freelance graphics work for groups including the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Veronika String Quartet and Western Jubilee Recording Company.   Sylvia is a member or the Colorado Springs Chorale and was a part of their small ensemble, Mosaic for over 16 years until their recent retirement.

Joan Kuemmerle
Springs Singers Director
This is Joan’s fifth season with the Children’s Chorale, and her second year as a director (previously, she accompanied for three different choirs within the Chorale).  Her directing debut was as the director of her high school pep band during her senior year.  Once in college, she was the director of the student chorale at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri.  She earned a Bachelor of Music Education (with an emphasis in choral music) from Eastern New Mexico University in 1986, and taught elementary music, beginning band and choir, Jr. high band and choir, as well as high school band and choir for four years in Hagerman, New Mexico.  Joan has also directed adult church choirs in both Roswell, New Mexico and Lubbock, Texas.  She held the position of Children’s Choir Director at both Melanie Park Baptist Church in Lubbock and Castle Hills Baptist Church in San Antonio for a combined total of eight years.  In addition to her eclectic directorial experience, Joan home-schools her four beautiful daughters, all of whom are enthusiastic members of the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale.

Jen Lennon
Drama & Choreographer Advisor
Jen returned to Colorado Springs after spending 14 years living in Chicago & Toronto.  She earned a Bachelor degree in Performance Studies and a Master in Education & Social Policy from Northwestern University.  Jen has designed and implemented drama curriculum for students in public and private schools, has directed numerous youth theatre productions, and has a teaching background in storytelling, music and forensics.  Jen has continued her own performing since graduating from the Children’s Chorale in 1985.  She has performed in a variety of musicals, revues, concerts and church events, receiving recognition in the Toronto area for her work.  Jen combined her love of sports and music by performing the national anthem for Major League Baseball, the NBA and the Canadian Football League.  She is thrilled to return home with CSCC and to a warm circle of family & friends. Jen performed with the Colorado Festival of  World Theatre’s Festival Goes to School production of Something Wonderful… A Tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein and Shakespeare.  Her most recent appearance was in Sweeney Todd with the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company.  Jen can currently be seen in her ongoing role as wife, mother of three, & music teacher at the DaVinci Academy in School District 20.

Austina Lee
Dawn Singers Accompanist
Austina Lee is thrilled to join the Colorado Springs Children Chorale family. Growing up in this community, she was very involved with the Colorado Spring Youth Symphony which gave her the opportunity to perform regularly with the Chorale. She began studying piano privately at the age of four and continued studying throughout her collegiate career at the University of Denver. Today, she serves as the staff accompanist for the Air Academy High School choral department as well as Calvary Baptist Church in Denver, CO. Her dream is to pursue a career in music education, and to continue sharing the joy of music with young people.

 Nancy Lingbloom
Springs Singers Accompanist
Mrs. Nancy Lingbloom is a native of Colorado having left the state only long enough to attend Kearney State College in Nebraska where she earned her BA in Music Education.  After a few years of private instruction and substitute teaching, she began her teaching career in Sterling, Colorado in 1979.  In 1993, her one-hundred-voice Sterling Middle School Eighth Grade Choir was selected to sing for the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference at the Broadmoor.  After teaching in Sterling for fifteen years, her family relocated to Colorado Springs and Mrs. Lingbloom went to work for the Widefield School district.  Nancy retired in 2006 after twelve years in Widefield at Watson Junior High, Widefield High School and French Elementary.  In 2001 and 2004, she was honored to direct the Watson Junior High Select Choir in their performances for the CMEA Conference.  She was nominated by her students in 1992, 2000, and 2002 for inclusion in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.  Mrs. Lingbloom is a member of Christian Educators Association, MENC, and ACDA, having served several terms as the Colorado Repertoire and Standards Chair for Middle School/Junior High.  She continues to present workshops, serve as adjudicator for various festivals, and direct honor choirs.  Nancy is active in the music program at First Christian Church where she sings in the chancel choir and rings handbells.  She also enjoys singing with a small women’s group, Sotto Voce.  Nancy is happy to still be involved in music-making and working with singers in Chorale and is honored to be a part of the exceptional staff.

Tom Linz
Sound Technician & Photographer
A man of many talents, Tom Linz has been with the Chorale family for over 20 years, first as a Chorale parent (Tom’s three children were Chorale members) and continuing as the Chorale’s sound technician and photographer.  In addition to running the sound for many of the Chorale concerts, Tom does photography, concert set-up, and computer network trouble shooting for the Chorale (among other things.) He traveled with Pikes Peak Singers on their tour to Australia, New Zealand and Japan in 2005 and the Pikes Peak and Summit tour to Japan in 2002.  As a professional photographer, Tom has captured the emotions at weddings, family gatherings, funerals and other events. He has also had the privilege of photographing thousands of troops returning from Iraq and reuniting with their families.  Tom is a volunteer photographer with the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (infant remembrance photography.) He has also trained in the photography of special needs children. He is currently pursuing accreditation with Special Kids Photography of America In his spare time he is developing his yard along Monument Creek as a photo park for portraits.

Ginger Littleton
Overture Instructor
Ginger received her Bachelor of Vocal Music Ed. from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. In 1976, she received her Masters of Music with a Kodaly emphasis from Holy Names College in Oakland, California. She earned a certificate from the Kodaly Institute in Kecskemet, Hungary and has taught K-12 general music and choir in California and Colorado. She came to Colorado Springs in 1980 to work at The Colorado Springs School. She taught K-6 music and choir in Widefield District #3 for 17 years. She has done workshops, reading sessions and directed honor choirs for the Colorado Music Educators Association and several front range school districts. She has served on the General Music Council of CMEA and is the co-founder and past president of ROCKE. She is President of the Western Division of Organization of American Kodaly Educators. Ginger has taught conducting and solfege in the summer Kodaly program at CSU-Fort Collins.

 Ginger is lucky enough to have choral works published by BriLee, Warner Bros. and Hal Leonard. She has sung with Abendmusik Chamber Choir in Colorado Springs since 1980. She has 2 grown daughters, a Border Collie who loves agility and an Australian Shepherd who thrives on 3 miles a day of exercise. She coaches youth girls’ lacrosse and tries to play soccer with her head since her feet aren’t fast anymore.

Brad Peterson
Artistic Coordinator, Summit Ensemble Conductor & Co-Founder
Mr. Peterson attended the University of Northern Colorado, where he earned his B.A. in Music Education and a Masters of Arts in Choral Literature and Conducting. He retired from Colorado Springs School District 11 after 30 years of public school teaching: eight years at Irving Junior High School and 22 years at Mitchell High School as Choral Conductor/Music Chair. Mr. Peterson has served as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the state of Colorado and in Nebraska.  Mr. Peterson has served as chairman of the Colorado All State Choirs, received honorable mention as Teacher of the Year, and was the first winner of the Governor’s Award for Excellence; in 2001 he was honored with the Distinguished Arts Educator Award. He now serves as an All State judge for the State of Colorado. Under his direction, the Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale Summit Ensemble, now in its nineteenth season, has performed throughout the community, the state of Colorado, at Carnegie Hall in New York, at St. Olaf College in Minneapolis, and in Chicago. Internationally, they have toured three times to Japan, and during the summer of 2005 they toured Scotland, Wales and England. Mr. Peterson conducted the Colorado Springs community choir, Soli Deo Gloria, winner of the 2002 Colorado Springs Music Awards “Best in Classical Choral Performance” award. and has performed professionally with Abendmusik and the Denver Cherry Creek Chorale. He also has toured Europe with William Hall’s California Master Chorale and the Colorado Ambassadors of Music.

Colleen Peterson
Principal Accompanist and Summit Ensemble Accompanist
Mrs. Peterson holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in organ performance from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. In addition to accompanying the Summit Ensemble, she works as a free-lance musician for many organizations, including Colorado College’s Shove Chapel and the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. She has served as Organist/Director of Music for the British Embassy-affiliated St. Paul’s Anglican/Episcopal Church in Athens, Greece; for Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence, Kansas; and for Broadmoor Community Church in Colorado Springs. Mrs. Peterson also has worked as a choir accompanist at Janitell Jr. High School and at Mitchell High School. She currently works as a Compensation Analyst for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Human Resources division. Mrs. Peterson joined the Children’s Chorale staff in March 1995