Chorale Founders and History
Earl N. Clark, Founder
Earl Norman Clark was born January 17, 1910, in Norman Park, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister and the youngest of eleven children. Mr. Clark studied music throughout high school and college and held a degree from Georgia State University. He played several instruments as well as participated in a select quartet and chorus. Throughout his life, he continued to study choral conducting and music. Mr. Clark began his career working in the Department of the FERA. Soon after his work with FERA he accepted a position teaching chemistry and math and coaching basketball and football. It was there that he met his future wife, Frances. They moved to Miami, Florida, where he began his work with the United States Postal Service.
Several years later, they returned to Bessemer, where he and Frances formed the Bessemer Civic Chorale. Mr. Clark continued to work at the Post Office and directed the choirs at South Highland Baptist Church, Bessemer First Presbyterian Church and Jonesboro United Methodist Church. Earl N. Clark was a published writer and belonged to many organizations including the Alabama Writer’s Conclave, S.P.E.B.S.Q.U.A., Alabama Choral Directors Association and the Norman Alumni where he founded an annual alumni retreat and the newspaper for the organization. Mr. Clark’s spirit of love and caring, his training and wisdom made him instrumental in the lives of the many people with whom he worked. Mr. Clark directed choral music until his death September 3, 1993.
Frances Clark, Founder
Frances Vail Clark was born April 19, 1911, in Bessemer, Alabama. She received a Bachelor's degree in English and Art from Howard College. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Alabama in Music Education. Mrs. Clark taught English and French as well as Latin at the secondary school level. After a short time teaching and living out of state, Mr. and Mrs. Clark moved back to the Bessemer area. Mrs. Clark taught music at Oak Grove where she wrote the alma mater, and McAdory High School. During this time, the Chorale was born as a combination of her choral group and the choirs at South Highland Baptist Church. Mrs. Clark was an artist and published writer but it was her work with youth choirs and the Chorale that was instrumental in her being named Alabama’s Mother of the Year in 1962. She continued this work while battling cancer, until her death on May 20, 1963.
Bebe Clark Kok, Conductor
Bebe Clark Kok has directed the Alabama Civic Chorale since 1993. Mrs. Kok holds a B.S. degree in Music Education with a concentration in organ from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a M.Ed. degree in Counseling from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She has taught elementary and secondary choral music and conducted church adult, youth and children’s choirs. She has served on the staff of national music conferences and toured with her youth choir which was asked to sing for a national conference. Mrs. Kok has been involved in workshops with composers and conductors including Robert Shaw, John Rutter and many others. She is a member of American Choral Directors Association, Presbyterian Association of Musicians and Chorus America.
As a College Counselor for many years in local schools, Mrs. Kok has served in several positions with College Board. She is also an active participant with NACAC and SACAC. Mrs. Kok is the owner and president of College Planning Services LLC, where she works individually with students grades 9-12. At collegeplanningservices4u.com any student may sign up for individual help preparing for college. She is also an NCAA/NAIA consultant working with athletes in high school.
Walt Rogers, Organist
Walt Rogers received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Samford University. He teaches AP Biology at Mountain Brook High School where he was awarded the prestigious Ann Pritchard Award as the outstanding teacher in the Mountain Brook School System. He is the organist at Riverchase United Methodist Church, and serves on the Director’s Committee with the Alabama Civic Chorale where he has accompanied the group for over 20 years.
Chorale History
The Alabama Civic Chorale was founded by Earl and Frances Clark, following a trip with their high school and youth choirs to Ridgecrest Music Conference where they sang Messiah. Upon return from the trip, Mr. and Mrs. Clark’s groups began to practice together. They often found themselves going from home to home with a pump organ and practicing many nights each week. Their first presentation of Handel’s Messiah was during the Christmas season at South Highlands Baptist Church. The size of the chorus started growing and in 1951, the performance was moved to Bessemer High School with about 60 voices. After a few years, the performance moved once more to area churches and now to its present location at Riverchase United Methodist.
In the beginning, the Cadek String Quartet from the University of Alabama was hired to furnish accompaniment for the Messiah. Soon, an orchestral group including Dr. Ed Cleino, was employed from students and faculty at the University of Alabama. It was not long before the orchestral group was hired from the Alabama Symphony.
A few Chorale members have been singing with the group since its inception. Others have been singing in these productions for many years. Major works that have been performed by the Chorale are: St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach; Elijah by Mendelssohn; and A German Requiem by Brahms. The group has also performed The Ballad of Judas Iscariot by Purvis, Israel in Egypt by Handel, and lighter music such as Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The group also performed a musical, written by Frances Clark, to sell out crowds.
The Chorale has performed with The Alabama Winds, at various churches in the area, and throughout the state of Alabama. In addition, the group has been featured as part of a national convention meeting at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, and was well received by about 2,500 representatives to the convention from all 48 contiguous states. Previous audiences have included visitors from many southeastern states. Performances have also attracted visitors from as far away as New York, Missouri, Portugal, Bolivia, Africa, Russia and the Netherlands.
Many Chorus members started their musical careers with the ACC. These members have gone on to careers as church choir directors, accompanists, professors of music and soloists in the communities in which they reside.
The Chorale continues today as an organization dedicated to bringing cultural arts to the area and enriching the lives of those who sing and those that hear the group perform.
Earl N. Clark, Founder
Earl Norman Clark was born January 17, 1910, in Norman Park, Georgia, the son of a Baptist minister and the youngest of eleven children. Mr. Clark studied music throughout high school and college and held a degree from Georgia State University. He played several instruments as well as participated in a select quartet and chorus. Throughout his life, he continued to study choral conducting and music. Mr. Clark began his career working in the Department of the FERA. Soon after his work with FERA he accepted a position teaching chemistry and math and coaching basketball and football. It was there that he met his future wife, Frances. They moved to Miami, Florida, where he began his work with the United States Postal Service.
Several years later, they returned to Bessemer, where he and Frances formed the Bessemer Civic Chorale. Mr. Clark continued to work at the Post Office and directed the choirs at South Highland Baptist Church, Bessemer First Presbyterian Church and Jonesboro United Methodist Church. Earl N. Clark was a published writer and belonged to many organizations including the Alabama Writer’s Conclave, S.P.E.B.S.Q.U.A., Alabama Choral Directors Association and the Norman Alumni where he founded an annual alumni retreat and the newspaper for the organization. Mr. Clark’s spirit of love and caring, his training and wisdom made him instrumental in the lives of the many people with whom he worked. Mr. Clark directed choral music until his death September 3, 1993.
Frances Clark, Founder
Frances Vail Clark was born April 19, 1911, in Bessemer, Alabama. She received a Bachelor's degree in English and Art from Howard College. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Alabama in Music Education. Mrs. Clark taught English and French as well as Latin at the secondary school level. After a short time teaching and living out of state, Mr. and Mrs. Clark moved back to the Bessemer area. Mrs. Clark taught music at Oak Grove where she wrote the alma mater, and McAdory High School. During this time, the Chorale was born as a combination of her choral group and the choirs at South Highland Baptist Church. Mrs. Clark was an artist and published writer but it was her work with youth choirs and the Chorale that was instrumental in her being named Alabama’s Mother of the Year in 1962. She continued this work while battling cancer, until her death on May 20, 1963.
Bebe Clark Kok, Conductor
Bebe Clark Kok has directed the Alabama Civic Chorale since 1993. Mrs. Kok holds a B.S. degree in Music Education with a concentration in organ from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a M.Ed. degree in Counseling from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She has taught elementary and secondary choral music and conducted church adult, youth and children’s choirs. She has served on the staff of national music conferences and toured with her youth choir which was asked to sing for a national conference. Mrs. Kok has been involved in workshops with composers and conductors including Robert Shaw, John Rutter and many others. She is a member of American Choral Directors Association, Presbyterian Association of Musicians and Chorus America.
As a College Counselor for many years in local schools, Mrs. Kok has served in several positions with College Board. She is also an active participant with NACAC and SACAC. Mrs. Kok is the owner and president of College Planning Services LLC, where she works individually with students grades 9-12. At collegeplanningservices4u.com any student may sign up for individual help preparing for college. She is also an NCAA/NAIA consultant working with athletes in high school.
Walt Rogers, Organist
Walt Rogers received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Samford University. He teaches AP Biology at Mountain Brook High School where he was awarded the prestigious Ann Pritchard Award as the outstanding teacher in the Mountain Brook School System. He is the organist at Riverchase United Methodist Church, and serves on the Director’s Committee with the Alabama Civic Chorale where he has accompanied the group for over 20 years.
Chorale History
The Alabama Civic Chorale was founded by Earl and Frances Clark, following a trip with their high school and youth choirs to Ridgecrest Music Conference where they sang Messiah. Upon return from the trip, Mr. and Mrs. Clark’s groups began to practice together. They often found themselves going from home to home with a pump organ and practicing many nights each week. Their first presentation of Handel’s Messiah was during the Christmas season at South Highlands Baptist Church. The size of the chorus started growing and in 1951, the performance was moved to Bessemer High School with about 60 voices. After a few years, the performance moved once more to area churches and now to its present location at Riverchase United Methodist.
In the beginning, the Cadek String Quartet from the University of Alabama was hired to furnish accompaniment for the Messiah. Soon, an orchestral group including Dr. Ed Cleino, was employed from students and faculty at the University of Alabama. It was not long before the orchestral group was hired from the Alabama Symphony.
A few Chorale members have been singing with the group since its inception. Others have been singing in these productions for many years. Major works that have been performed by the Chorale are: St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach; Elijah by Mendelssohn; and A German Requiem by Brahms. The group has also performed The Ballad of Judas Iscariot by Purvis, Israel in Egypt by Handel, and lighter music such as Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The group also performed a musical, written by Frances Clark, to sell out crowds.
The Chorale has performed with The Alabama Winds, at various churches in the area, and throughout the state of Alabama. In addition, the group has been featured as part of a national convention meeting at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, and was well received by about 2,500 representatives to the convention from all 48 contiguous states. Previous audiences have included visitors from many southeastern states. Performances have also attracted visitors from as far away as New York, Missouri, Portugal, Bolivia, Africa, Russia and the Netherlands.
Many Chorus members started their musical careers with the ACC. These members have gone on to careers as church choir directors, accompanists, professors of music and soloists in the communities in which they reside.
The Chorale continues today as an organization dedicated to bringing cultural arts to the area and enriching the lives of those who sing and those that hear the group perform.