Community Engagement

Commitment to Musical Education

Members of the Sangre de Cristo Chorale are devoted to music education that enriches the lives of young people in the community and to promote opportunities for young people to excel in singing. Recognizing the Chorale’s potential to inspire and encourage New Mexico’s young singers in 1993, SDCC began its focus on youth development. Today, the Chorale’s youth program consists of an apprentice program for high school students, higher-education scholarships given to outstanding graduating high school music students, and an annual community engagement program for high school choirs, which includes musical training and music donation. The Chorale makes free tickets available to youth through high school chorale directors, largely in underserved communities.

School Choral Teacher Workshops

As part of our commitment to support young choral students and teachers in northern New Mexico, the Chorale holds conducting workshops for school choral teachers.  The workshop shown in the photos above was held in June 2024, and another was held in May 2025. Local music teachers/conductors have the opportunity to study and conduct the Chorale under the instruction of Music Director George Case. Not only do the teachers benefit from their conducting workshop experience, their many students will benefit, too. The Chorale also benefits from the experience of having to pay close attention to different directors and their different styles, as well as learning from George’s engagement with them.

The Chorale has also held workshops with many different high school choral programs since 1996. SDCC members have traveled across the state meeting and working alongside choir directors and young singers. The Chorale has sung with about 500 budding musicians in all parts of New Mexico.

Apprentice Program

The Apprentice Program has offered mentoring to 43 young people from our community, providing them the opportunity to sing with the Chorale for the entire season, learn advanced musical skills and gain an increased understanding of striving for excellence in music. Since this program’s inception more than 20 years ago, many Chorale apprentices have gone on to study music in college and several are now successfully pursuing careers in music.
The Chorale is actively seeking high school Apprentice singers for upcoming performances.
Contact Music Director George Case for further information.

Scholarship Program

The Chorale’s Hastings Smith Memorial Vocal Scholarship is available to high school seniors who are interested in continuing their musical education in college. Two $500 scholarships are awarded each spring to students dedicated to singing and demonstrating an ongoing commitment to increase vocal musical experience and progress. Begun in 1996, the Hastings Smith Memorial Vocal Scholarship was established in memory of Hastings Smith, a Sangre de Cristo Chorale singer.  The scholarship now has been awarded to 40 recipients pursuing vocal music excellence.
Click here to download the Scholarship Application.