Special Guest Conducts Valencia Choir

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dr. John V. Sinclair was handed the baton at the Voices of Valencia rehearsal at Valencia’s East Campus on June 16. Sinclair, 54, is the director of music at Rollins College.

Sinclair has been conducting for 23 years and has been the instructor for Walt Disney World’s Candlelight Processional for over a decade. He directs the Moravian Music Festival, conducts 150 performances each year, and is highly praised in Central Florida.

Sinclair was invited to the rehearsal for the choir to receive a more intimate practice. “Good to have you,” said Sinclair, after the choir gave him applause, “This year, somewhere around the second week in December, will by my 500th,” referring to the number of Candlelight performances he has conducted.

Candlelight is a performance that gathers from the day after Thanksgiving to December 30. The songs are a combination of holiday songs. A CD must be recorded and submitted in order to be considered for acceptance.

Sinclair said when he was offered to do Candlelight, he didn't know what it was at first, but accepted and said, "'My goodness, sounds like fun, I'd like to do it.'"

Singer Joyce Musculus, said she was excited to have Sinclair. “He’s one of the best directors, one of the favorites also. Everybody loves working with Dr. Sinclair and to get a one-on-one with him is awesome because he doesn’t do it often. He’s very busy.” Musculus, 49, is a former Valencia student, and has been with the choir as a soprano for four years.

James C. Jones, the founder and director of V.O.V., said to the choir, “Let us lean on some of his expertise, as we get ready to do our 10th video.”

Jones, 53, a music professor at Valencia, has been singing since he was three, and said he “started from scratch,” when creating the chorale thirteen years ago.

“John and I are good friends, so of course I love having him out here,” said Jones, “For me, it’s a no brainer, and he is still directing Candlelight. It’s a win-win for us to have such a great ally.” Jones said they have guest instructors only from “time to time.”

The soprano captain, Barbara Murphy, has been singing in the choir since ’97, when she saw them perform at a local mall. “I think it’s great,” said Murphy, 74,”He’s one of our favorite conductors to have at Candlelight because he’s very, very precise, and you know exactly what he expects of you.”

A music professor at Valencia, Alan Gerber, had this to add: "Dr. Sinclair is most noted for his Bach festival that comes out of Rollins College. He is a fine conductor and musician. Anything he is involved with should be good."

Voices of Valencia is a community choir, not only open to students, but to seniors, as well. It's one credit hour and is $75 for enrolled students, but free for seniors. Practices are every Tuesday at 7 p.m.