Hilton Head Choral Society Celebrates 50 Years of Beautiful Music

It all started with Messiah.

The year was 1975, and Martha Gregory had a vision. A gifted choral musician trained at the Wesleyan Conservatory and in New York, she wanted to bring Handel’s beloved oratorio to her new community on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

With a $500 grant from the Hilton Head Institute of the Arts, and the help of 80 volunteer singers and several guest soloists, Martha brought her vision to life during the holiday season of 1976. With that performance of the Christmas portion of Messiah, an annual tradition was born, and with it, the longest-running performing arts organization on Hilton Head.

This season, the Hilton Head Choral Society (HHCS) has been celebrating its 50^th anniversary, and its upcoming Spring Concert, Celebrate Renewal, is both the culmination of that celebration and a joyful recommitment to the next half century.

“Celebrate Renewal is really the heartbeat of our 50th anniversary season,” says Maureen Duffy, who’s been singing with the HHCS for five seasons.

“It celebrates the people, the music and the moments that got us here and the forward momentum we have going into our 51st season to grow our membership, our audience and our music as we move into the future.”

Leading the way will be the HHCS’s Artistic Director, Dr. Dustin Ousley, a longtime music educator who’s also performed in countless musical theatre productions. “I have sung in choirs for many decades,” says Duffy. “He is the best balance of vocal and classical music educator, and he makes it all more meaningful and more fun!”

Relatively new to the organization, Dr. Ousley is following in the footsteps of giants – including John Carter and Mary Kay Beall Carter, John Gosling, Mary Woodmansee-Green, and most recently, Tim Reynolds. Reynolds served as Artistic Director for over 20 years and is returning to the island from his home in London for the Celebrate Renewal concert.

Looking back on his two-plus decades with the organization, Reynolds recalls some highlights.

“In my time with the HHCS, the board and I were able to expand the programming from two concerts a year to as many as six. Part of this was done with the establishment of the ‘HHCS Presents’ Series, where we would produce concerts of world class choral organizations like The Vienna Boys Choir, which was just been here for the fourth time. In addition to the VBC, we produced concerts by The Kings Singers, the Swingle Singers and Voces 8 from Great Britain, and the world-famous Chanticleer from San Francisco, as well as the American Boy Choir, and Cantus from Minnesota.

“Another, kind of behind-the-scenes thing that I’m very proud of was the establishment of a Reserve Fund as part of the 40th anniversary, guaranteeing some financial stability for the future of the organization.”

Walter Lowe has been singing with the HHCS since 2015 and doesn’t hesitate when asked to share a favorite memory. “The Vive La Paris concert,” he says. “We ended the show with the theme from Les Miserables, which resulted in a spontaneous standing ovation! Very cool, and it validated all of the effort, and confirmed for me our value as entertainers.”

Serving as the HHCS’s accompanist for 12 years, Janice Creech retired in 2022. Her favorite memories are the concerts. “The result of learning new repertoire over approximately 6 weeks of rehearsal and then performing with an orchestra. It was always a ‘pinch me’ moment,” she says.

Maureen Duffy agrees. “The performance aspect of HHCS is what I like the most,” she says. “Our 75+ singers are joined by 10+ musicians to create a large and varied sound. And having occasional professional singers join us as soloists is a treat.”

And then there are the trips. “Being able to take a group like this and go to Europe to perform music that was written specifically for the kinds of buildings we were able to sing in and share that experience is always thrilling,” says Tim Reynolds, still reminiscing about his long tenure as Artistic Director. “We were able to do that on two different tours. And it was also exciting to host our first Choral Festival with choirs from around the country coming together on Hilton Head to perform individually and together as one large ensemble. It really proves the point that Music is the universal language.”

According to Janice Creech, the upcoming Spring Concert will be a true celebration of past and present. “I think the audience will enjoy hearing past favorites as well as new repertoire. Having both Dr. Dustin Ousley and Tim Reynolds there, sharing the podium, is an added bonus. We will recognize former HHCS singers who are in the audience and there will be a celebratory reception for all following the concert.”

As for repertoire, Walter Lowe says the choir will be singing songs by artists as varied as Billy Joel, Dan Forrest, and Paul Basler, along with the

popular ‘He Never Failed Me Yet,’ a “gospel romp” by Robert Ray. “It will be a fun show!” he promises.

“The HHCS is like family,” says Janice Creech, and the other members agree that the friendships they’ve formed are right up there with the music.

“Performing in any musical ensemble has many benefits,” says Tim Reynolds. “It challenges different parts of our brain and gives us the opportunity to work together toward a common goal, creating an environment where the end result is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

“I agree with Paul McCartney, who said, ‘I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity – to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that.’”

 

The HHSC’s 50^th Anniversary Spring Concert, Celebrate Renewal, will take place on March 27, 2026, at 7pm at First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island. For more information visit www.hiltonheadchoralsociety.org