The Army Chorus and soloists from the group became endeared to the Bush family during their stay at the Naval Observatory and into their days at the White House. Current bass vocalist SSG Alvy Powell was asked to perform the national anthem for the senior President Bush’s presidential inauguration in 1989, and in 2001 SFC Alec Maly, a bass in the chorus since 1995, performed a patriotic medley and the national anthem at President George W. Bush’s first inauguration.
Many members of the Army Chorus have led distinguished careers on Broadway and on the stages of opera houses and concert halls worldwide. The list includes George Shirley, the first African-American member of the Army Chorus, who went on to become an international opera star. And Harrah’s Las Vegas Casino and Hotel’s current headline entertainer and former Atlantic City “Entertainer of the Year,” Clint Holmes, was a member of the Army Chorus from 1967 to 1969.
SSG Steve Cramer, current tenor vocalist, took a sabbatical from the Army Chorus in 1997 to pursue theater in New York. He was cast in the national tour of “Les Misérables” as a member of the ensemble and to cover the role of Jean Valjean. He performed on the tour for three years. In the fall of 2000, he was offered a role in the Broadway Company. He returned to The Army Chorus just prior to 9/11 and performed as a featured soloist at the Sept. 11, 2002, dedication of the repaired section of the Pentagon.
When not in uniform, many of the current Chorus members serve as music ministers in local churches, as private vocal instructors, and as featured soloists, ensemble singers, and pianists in the very active arts community in and around Washington, D.C.
Just as the Army Chorus has been the duty assignment for many talented singers and pianists, the group has been led and supported by an impressive roster of directors and conductors.
CPT Samuel R. Loboda had a true patriotic spirit for men’s choral literature and led the Army Band Chorus and the Army Chorus until he became COL Loboda, leader and commander of The U.S. Army Band in 1964, where he served until he retired in 1976.
Current director and conductor LTC John Clanton is enjoying his second tour of duty with the group. Officer in charge of the Chorus from 1995 to 2000, and from 2004 to the present, Clanton has performed and recorded with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under Maestro Robert Shaw.
In addition to its numerous community concerts and school outreach programs each year, the U.S. Army Chorus has appeared in such notable concert halls as New York’s Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The National Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Grant Park (Chicago) Symphony and San Francisco Symphony are just a few of the orchestras that have featured the Chorus as guest performers.
Periodically, the Army Chorus is invited to give special performances at regional and national choral conventions of organizations such as the American Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Convention, and Music and Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses Inc., where the group has profoundly inspired and influenced developing singers and music educators, according to Army officials.
Holiday television specials, national network morning shows, and evening variety and talk shows have all hosted the Chorus, as have Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and NASCAR events. The men of The Army Chorus have been featured performers on Army television specials and Internet broadcasts seen and heard by our military service members around the world.
Historic Fort Myer, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., is the chorus’ home. The chorus can be assembled quickly to provide music for ceremonies, special events and hosted dinners in the distinguished residences of the chairman of the joint chiefs, Army chief of staff and other top-ranking military officials.
