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Pensacola Children's Chorus Founders To Be Honored After Retirement

Pensacola Children's Chorus

The Pensacola Children’s Chorus will host a tribute dinner honoring the careers of founding artistic directors Susan and Allen Pote, following their final performance. “Showtime” will be presented May 6-8 at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre.

The tribute dinner will take place Tuesday, May 17, 6:00 p.m. at the Naval Aviation Museum. The deadline for reservations is Tuesday, May 3.

The tribute to the Potes comes with their announced retirement at the end of the 2015-16 season; their 26th with the Pensacola Children’s Chorus.

It all started in 1990, when Susan Pote was a teacher at Creative Learning Academy.  

“Actually, Grier Williams, who was then conductor of the Pensacola Symphony attended one of our concerts and contacted me on Halloween Eve and asked me if I would prepare a group of children for the Christmas concert,” said Susan Pote.

She said yes. The concert was a great success and she would become director of the Pensacola Symphony Children’s Chorus, with her husband Allen Pote as accompanist.

Allen Pote was working as director of music at First Methodist Church in Pensacola and was just beginning to work as a freelance composer.

“And, when this chorus came along, I thought this is something we could do on the side, little knowing that 26 years later, it would be a full-time operation,” said Allen Pote.

He noted that during the early 1990’s, there was a movement across the country involving the formation of community children’s choruses.

The chorus was very successful and by the start of the 1994-95 season had separated from the Symphony.  The Pensacola Children’s Chorus was established with Susan and Allen Pote as founding directors.

Over the years, the chorus has averaged between 250-300 youngsters, having started with about 60 children and grown to its largest membership of about 320 kids. It now has six choirs.

There have been many highlights over the past 26 years.

According to Allen Pote, one of his best memories was being asked by retiring symphony director Grier Williams to write a work for children and symphony based on biblical passages about children.

“And, so I wrote a five-segment work called “And, a Little Child Shall Lead Them,” said Pote. “And, we performed it with the symphony on his final concert and that was certainly a highlight.”

Coming from a classical background, Susan Pote fondly recalled the numerous artistic collaborations with organizations such as the Pensacola Symphony, Pensacola Opera, and many of the nation’s top guest conductors. And, she’s loved the creative process for their big shows, such as Christmas on the Coast and Showtime, in that they provide something different for the kids.

“In our shows, the entire child is involved. They’re emotionally, physically, dancing, using the whole means to express themselves.”

The Pensacola Children’s Chorus has performed in various churches all over the United States, including California, New York, and Colorado. They sang in Canada, including Ottawa and Montreal. And, one of the most memorable was a performance in the 16th District in Paris, France.

The chorus has produced some very talented alumni. Most noted are Ashley Brown, who premiered the role of Mary Poppins on Broadway, and has sung with symphonies across the country. Katie Mixon has had roles in two major sitcoms, including Mike and Molly on CBS. Abigail Spencer has numerous TV and movie credits.

David Shipman is Ringmaster for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

Also, Jarvis Derrell, Will Hedgecock, Maurica Roland, and  Cait Frizzell, among others, are all having successful careers in performance.

Certainly, the Potes are proud of the young people who have come through their program.

“One of the most gratifying things to us is when people, alumni, come back and say what it meant to them and what an influence it had on them,” said Allen Pote, in response to a question about what he’s most proud of as he leaves the children’s chorus behind. “And, then also, when people in the community say what it has done for the community.”

Susan Pote pointed to the emotional reaction one of the chorus members had to a piece of music they were performing. “For me that’s when I feel really great, is when I know that the music has really touched the soul of the child, and they’ve made that connection. That for me is when I feel the most proud.”

The tribute dinner honoring the careers of Susan and Allen Pote will take place Tuesday, May 17, 2016, 6:00 p.m. at the Naval Aviation Museum.

For more information call the PCC at 850-434-7760.

Sandra Averhart has been News Director at WUWF since 1996. Her first job in broadcasting was with (then) Pensacola radio station WOWW107-FM, where she worked 11 years. Sandra, who is a native of Pensacola, earned her B.S. in Communication from Florida State University.