Riverbend Youth Chorale
About the Riverbend Youth Chorale
Purpose and Background:
The Riverbend Youth Chorale is a nonprofit choral program with the goal of bringing excellent choral music education to all students in the Greater-Riverbend, no matter prior experience or ability. By pairing the nurturing of crucial musical concepts such as rhythm, melody, pitch, and dynamics and introducing more complex ideas of singing, our singers receive a diverse and holistic week of education.
Our founder, Spencer Domer (Alton '19), sang and performed in multiple groups and ensembles based in the Riverbend that cease to exist today. These ensembles brought him longterm friends, connections, and collaborative artists which he still performs with to this day. As an effort to give back to the community that helped him so much, he founded the Riverbend Youth Chorale, to provide the same opportunity for students today.
The Riverbend Youth Chorale is open to of all district and homeschooled singers in our community, allowing all to collaborate and create here, in our backyard.
About our team:
Artistic Director, Spencer Domer is incredibly fortunate and proud to have created the Riverbend Youth Chorale in his backyard, Alton, Illinois. Spencer is finishing his Masters in Choral Conducting at Ball State University where he serves as a Choral and Opera Graduate Assistant. He received his Bachelors from Millikin University, where he was the Founding President of Millikin Camerata, the university’s student-led chamber choir and sang with the renowned Millikin University Choir under Dr. Brad Holmes. As a singer, Spencer has performed the roles of Martin (The Tender Land), Frederic (The Pirates of Penzance), Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Spiridione (Il Campanello di Notte) and also has covered leading roles in regional opera companies including Prunier in La Rondine, Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance and Ernesto in Don Pasquale. Spencer has also performed with MIOpera, Opera Edwardsville, Raylynmor Opera, as a chorister with the Five-Cities Baroque Festival, and sang in residency at St. Albans Cathedral in England.
As a conductor outside of his University choral ensembles, Spencer has served as an Assistant Conductor for Britten's Albert Herring, Pucinni's Suor Angelica, and Donizetti's Il Campanello di Notte. He would like to thank his friends, family, and mentors for their unending support, and the Riverbend Community for their extended support of the arts.
Assistant Artistic Director, Eddie Hitchcock is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and has been a Music Educator, Performer, and Familiar Face for decades in the Greater-Riverbend. As a Choral Director, Eddie has led multiple community and academic ensembles, including Encounter Youth Choir (2007-2020) and Seasons of Life (2014-Present) and directed the Illinois Music Educator Conference Youth Treble Choir (2023). Eddie has served as the Director of Theater Arts at Alton Middle School and is a Voice Teacher through the Alton High School Conservatory, where he has taught for 20 years! Outside of the Alton School District, Eddie teaches many students in the community and collaborates with artists far and wide to make wonderful music to the Greater-Riverbend.
Eddie also serves as the Director of Worship and Youth Programs at The Bridge Church in Alton and loves to use his gifts for the cultivation of arts in Alton.
Collaborative Pianist, Charlie Brockus is a lifelong pianist and collaborator in the Greater-Riverbend community. He studied piano with Carol Griffith for 10 years and after graduating from Edwardsville Senior High School, he has pursued a career in piano performance and collaboration. Charlie has served as both the rehearsal and performance accompanist for the Great Rivers Chorale Society for the past eight years. In addition to GRCS, he accompanies the choir at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Alton, Ill.), Seasons of Life women’s choir, and numerous High School and Collegiate productions, concerts, and programs. On the weekends you can find Charlie at the Ragin Cajun Piano Bar‬ in Alton as half of a dueling pianos act. He considers himself very lucky to be able to do what he loves for a living.
