As the fifth director of the Minnesingers, and the first alumni of the group to lead it, Abigail Chandler brings a full-circle experience to the job. She spent 3 formative years as a Minnesinger during which time she realized that music was her passion. She earned Bachelor of Music Performance and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Ithaca College and went to the Univ. of North Carolina Greensboro for a Master of Music. She spent some time in Italy and New York in pursuit of a singing career, quickly realizing that the life of a performer was not for her. She came back to the Vineyard to regroup and took a part-time teaching job at the high school, and found her perfect job. She was lucky enough to have Janis Wightman as a mentor for 9 years, and took over the post of Minnesinger Director in 2018. She was fortunate enough to be able to take the group to Scotland in the spring of 2019 on a concert tour where they performed at St. Giles Cathedral, Sterling Castle and Edinburgh Castle.
Seeing the transformation in her students from individuals that sing into a singing group is the best part of her job. That sense of belonging and purpose, and the realization that they are more than the sum of their parts is the magic she hopes to instill in these young musicians. Performing choral music is unique in human experience – breath unified, heartbeats synched, intention focused on the same goal; that is the reasons we all come to rehearsal week after week.
