A choir is made up of many voices, blending as one to communicate a message.

Each individual makes up the whole, but not always is an individual recognized individually. Except in the cases of the conductor and the accompanist, who also are pieces of the whole but perform different duties than the singers.

Fountain Hills Community Chorus has those individuals. Matthew Frable is musical director, and Lois McElligott accompanies the chorus on piano.

Matthew Frable

When the chorus’ musical director enters the Community Center ballroom to lead the choir in its annual spring concert, odds are his festive red shoes will be replaced by silver shoes, to celebrate the chorus’ 25th anniversary.

Frable will conduct the 90-voice group performing “Silver Reflections: 25 Years of Music in the Hills” on April 9 and 10.

He took over as musical director in September 2007 and led the group in its “Olde-Fashioned Christmas” program in December. Since then, he has directed 36 regular concerts, as well as multiple smaller concerts at festivals and summer shows.

Frable has participated in choirs since he was a child. He said he doesn’t have just one person who pushed him.

“I always sang in church choirs,” he said.

“In junior high I joined the band and, in high school, I joined the choir and started playing piano.”

He was his high school’s first drum major and knew he wanted to pursue a musical career and work with people. That resulted in pursuing a double major in music therapy and music education from Southern Methodist University.

He has eclectic taste in music and listens primarily to classical, a little Broadway and a few oldies. When he runs, he prefers listening to top 40 pop music.

Frable said last spring FHCC singers were surveyed and asked to provide a list of their favorite songs sung in past concerts.

“The repertoire for this concert is a compilation of those favorites,” he said.

“The choir is really enjoying preparing for the selections, and I’m confident this will be an entertaining experience for everyone.”

Lois McElligott

The daughter of a professional organist, church organist and Baldwin piano/organ business owner, McElligott got started as an accompanist in junior high when her choir director asked if she would consider accompanying the school choir.

That started her life-long love of choral accompaniment. She said it has offered her memorable experiences including accompanying a school choir on the stage of the Lincoln Center in New York City.

She serendipitously became the accompanist for FHCC in 1996 when she was called to substitute for the regular accompanist. She has been with the group ever since.

“I often feel a bit sad that they (pianist) lost the accompanist job because of that one emergency,” McElligott said.

“But I’m so glad that I stepped in at the time since it has led to so many enjoyable years with the chorus.”

McElligott has a Ph.D. in chemistry. She worked in chemical research and development for 11 years before moving to Arizona. She now works for Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation’s education division as a science and math academic coach for Fountain Hills High School Native students.