About the West Michigan Community Chorale
The West Michigan Community Chorale’s members are drawn from all walks of life, from young adults to seniors, amateurs to music professionals. We actively seek new and innovative settings to bring choral music to the West Michigan community. We have been blessed to bring choral music to senior citizens in retirement communities and to residents in a memory care unit as well. Our repertoire consists of music from many genres: Renaissance pieces to African American spirituals, Beethoven to Gershwin, Broadway to Gospel.
In addition, we’ve performed the Star Spangled Banner for the Detroit Tigers several times (and added O Canada in 2023!) and for the Grand Rapids Gold.
Our Director of Music, Mr. Les Rowsey, is retired from a forty year career in music education, the last thirty in Jenison Public Schools. He has also served on the music faculties of Western Michigan University and Cornerstone University. Les was honored with Jenison Public Schools Teacher of the Year and named a finalist for Michigan Teacher of the Year in 1991-92. He was named MSVMA Teacher of the Year in 2000, and in 2013 received the Western Michigan University Pioneer Music Educator Award for teaching excellence. WMCC grew out of Les’ dream for a place where his former students and other adults could continue to develop and a choir that could bring choral music to people in the community who may not have access in West Michigan or elsewhere.
WMCC's Mission
West Michigan Community Chorale is a group of singers dedicated to fostering excellence in vocal music and sharing our efforts with the greater West Michigan community. We work together to provide a supportive environment for adults to learn more about music in general and to grow their vocal talents. We perform in various places within our community to bring enjoyment to those who have limited access to musical performances, and to support our community and other nonprofit causes. We believe that by striving to become the best musicians we can be and sharing those efforts with our community, we can bring joy to others, enrich our audience, and promote artistic excellence.