Lee University’s all-female vocal ensemble Ladies of Lee, directed by Dr. Cameron Weatherford, recently performed at the Georgia chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conference at Kennesaw State University.

“It was an incredible honor to be invited to participate in ACDA,” said Weatherford, assistant professor of choral music at Lee.

ACDA is a not-for-profit professional organization for choral directors that is dedicated to inspiring excellence in choral music through education, performance, composition, and advocacy. Ladies of Lee was invited alongside several other choral ensembles in the region to perform at the conference.

“Anytime we go anywhere, we’re asked to ‘pour it all out,’” said Brianna Hernandez, a sophomore music and worship major and a section leader for the Ladies of Lee. “No matter how tired we feel, what we’re thinking, what’s going on, we’re just asked to ‘pour it out’ in a ministerial sense. We worked hard on these pieces, not only with musicality, but also to connect deeply to the music so that we could use it as ministry at ACDA.”

The choir performed four pieces, each selected as part of the ensemble’s theme for the year, “Count It All Joy.” These pieces included “Ecce Mundi Gaudium,” “Spirit of Life,” “I Count It All Joy,” and “All My Trials.”

“It is no secret that Ladies of Lee seeks to proclaim the gospel in every measure of music we sing. Our performance at ACDA was no exception to this standard,” said Bronwyn Paladin, a junior vocal performance major and president of Ladies of Lee. “Being selected to sing was a big milestone for this ensemble, but perhaps of more importance was the ministry we were able to offer on a secular stage.”

Alongside being invited to ACDA, Ladies of Lee has also been invited to perform at the Tennessee Music Education Association (TMEA) Conference next spring. TMEA aims to provide students with opportunities and resources for high quality music experiences and professional development.

“I believe that the Ladies found themselves much more focused on the presentation of the gospel in our performance as opposed to another plaque or feather in the ensemble’s cap,” said Weatherford. “This was our goal from the beginning, and I’m incredibly proud of how the Ladies represented the Lord, themselves, and Lee University throughout the process.”

Ladies of Lee consists of approximately 50 women from a variety of undergraduate programs. Along with conducting Ladies of Lee, Weatherford also conducts Choral Union and teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in choral music and conducting.

For more information about Ladies of Lee, contact Lee University’s School of Music at [email protected] or (423) 614-8240.