The Peak to Peak Chorale has been offering the gift of music to this mountain community since 1990 under the direction of Ann and Jane Wyss.

These two sisters created the Chorale after moving to Gilpin County, where they each had a long career as choral conductors. The co-directors presented many concerts over the years and incorporated original stories to go along with their songs. Many of the concerts involved historical themes.

The Chorale took a break during the pandemic, and the Wyss sisters decided to retire this year from their role as directors. New directors have been appointed to give the Chorale a rebirth and to take it in a new direction. Tertia Cain and Patrice LeBlanc will become the new co-directors starting this fall.

Tertia Cain graduated with a degree in vocal performance and conducted the Morgan County Chorale, in Fort Morgan, Colorado, for six years before moving to Gilpin County. She muses that what is fun about the Chorale is that “it includes a diverse ensemble where each person brings a unique gift to the group.”

Cain saw during the pandemic how much people craved the arts and didn’t realize how much they truly loved their theatre until it was stripped away. She would love to see a renewal of the Chorale from the isolation of Covid.

Besides being a Chorale director, Cain is highly involved with her two daughters. She enjoys hiking and hosting dinner parties. She recently took up pickleball and plays in a volleyball league. She teaches voice and piano at her home and is involved at her church as a worship leader.

Patrice LeBlanc holds a M.A. degree in Musical Theatre from Regis University. She has an extensive background as a choral director and as a musical director. She moved to Central City in 2018 and became involved with the theatre community. She serves as the secretary of the Belvidere Foundation and runs the Belvidere Players, the theatre troupe where she writes and produces historically inspired musicals with her husband, Ed Schoenradt.

LeBlanc loves to see songs develop through the rehearsal process and thrills at how it takes a community to create a masterful piece of art. She performs along the Front Range as a jazz pianist and vocalist. She also teaches private voice and piano lessons in Central City and at Brightwood Music in Nederland.

The next Chorale season begins in September, preparing for a program that will be presented in December and another one in the spring of 2024. Rehearsals will be held at the Gilpin County Library.

The Chorale is accepting new members and will have a booth set up at the upcoming Gilpin County Fair on July 15 and 16 with more information, or call 303-421-2243.