The Paul Madore Chorale

The Chorale was founded in 1964 by Maestro L. Paul Madore, for whom the chorale is named. Under Paul Madore’s direction, the Chorale sang a variety of music, from Gregorian Chant to contemporary styles. The Chorale performed fully staged productions of Die Fledermaus, Verdi’s Manzoni Requiem, the Berlioz Requiem, and The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins. Additionally, the Chorale toured France twice, notably to participate in the 50th Anniversary of D-Day Concert. The Chorale also toured Italy in 1997 and sang for Pope John Paul II.

René Minalga-Rheault took the position of Music Director in 2019 after Paul’s retirement. Paul remained active with the Chorale until his death in June 2021. While closed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chorale returned for the 2021-2022 season. 

Taking its name from one of the Greek Muses, Calliope is an offshoot of the Paul Madore Chorale featuring solely treble voices, usually in the settings of SSA and SSAA. This group is by audition only and is an opportunity for singers to try more challenging repertoire in a small group setting. The goal for Calliope is to present their own annual concert in addition to the large group.

The Annual SummerSings, once voluntarily hosted by the Chorale, have now become an integrated part. They are held every year in the beautiful upstairs of the Old Town Hall in Salem and they provide the public with a unique opportunity to sing through large works of the choral repertoire in an informal setting. Professional soloists and conductors are invited (as well as an ad hoc orchestra)  and volunteer their time and talents to the chorale. The SummerSings are a main fundraiser for the chorale and a donation of $10 per person is suggested. Scores are provided as well as refreshments. 

Meet the Music Director

René A. Minalga-Rheault is a conductor, soprano, and organist hailing from Shirley, Massachusetts. She acquired a GPD and master’s in piano performance from the Longy School of Music where she studied piano with the late Ludmilla Lifson and organ with Dr. Libor Dudaš. Continuing studies at the Longy School led René to pursue a passion for early music where she studied voice with Ryan Turner and Pamela Dellal. René has performed with the Boston Camerata, Boston Opera Collaborative, and Eudaimonia. She is currently the music director of the vibrant music program at Trinity Lutheran Church of Chelmsford. René is a competitive chess player in the United States Chess Federation. Other interests include naps, coffee, and single malt scotch. She lives in Nashua, New Hampshire, with wife, Melody, and feline friend, Basil.

Meet the Board

President: Diane Anderson
Diane Anderson has been with the Chorale since 2006 and has been President of the board since 2019. Diane is a pianist and composer; she loves composing in many genres. She lives in Beverly with her husband and her two little feline furballs, Wolfgang and Newt.

Vice President: Christina Guibas
Christina Maria Guibas is a Victor Rosenbaum Scholarship recipient (2011)  and Masters of Music and Mary Ellis Smith prize recipient (2013),  from the Longy school of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her primary studies were with the late Ludmilla Lifson, graduate and former faculty of the Leningrad State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg, Russia (1968-1978). After the passing of her teacher, Ms. Guibas took up studies with the acclaimed Thomas Stumpf, faculty of Tufts in Somerville, Massachusetts, and graduate of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Ms. Guibas spent a decade teaching in the Greater Boston area.  She performed both as a soloist, and as a piano duo with the now Music Director of the Paul Madore Chorale in Salem, Massachusetts, Rene Minalga-Rheault. Christina is now the pianist for the Paul Madore Chorale, as well as a member of the choir, as well as Board Member for our rehearsal space at 211 Bridge.. She resides in Beverly, Massachusetts with her cat Lyra, where she works full-time as a real estate agent and consultant.

Treasurer: Kate Flood
Kate Flood is a mezzo-soprano. Kate has been a member of The Paul Madore Chorale since the 2014/2015 season and has since sung—as both a member of the ensemble and as a soloist—under three of the group’s music directors: Paul Madore, Jeffrey Brody, and current director Rene Minalga-Rheault. She has served as the group’s treasurer since the 2018/2019 season. Kate has worked professionally as an editor, primarily of financial content, for more than 20 years. She loves taking walks with her dog, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and periodically trekking to NYC to sing in a musical theater club with friends.  

Librarian: Steve Allen
Steve comes from a small town in the North West of England.  He started singing at an early age in Primary School and in the choir at the adjacent Church, which trained choristers using the RSCM program. He continued his musical education at the King Edward VI School in Macclesfield, not just with sacred music but with barbershop groups and even a few Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. After graduating from Durham University, his career took him  all over the world and prevented him from making any serious musical commitments. Moving to the US in the late 1990s gave him a more stable lifestyle allowing him to once again be able to pursue his passion for singing. He has been singing at Grace Episcopal Church in Salem for over 20 years. He sang for quite a while with a group called Magnificat Boston who were founded by the former organist and music director from the Episcopal Cathedral in Boston. The mission of the group was to bring the service of Choral Evensong to churches in the Diocese. He has  been singing with the PMC since 2007.  He has been the Librarian for the past few years and still enjoys both singing and doing what he can to make this group successful. He feels fortunate to have found a group which sings a varied repertoire and goes about its business with commitment, but also with lots of fun!

Recording Secretary: Pamela Spencer
Recording Secretary Pam Spencer sings alto and has been a member of the Chorale for over 15 years. She is currently retired and enjoying a relaxed life. She fills her time with music of all kinds, gardening, yoga, grandchildren, and traveling!

Media and Corresponding Secretary: Kate Dobson
Kate D. has been a soprano in the Chorale since 2018. She recently joined the Board in January 2022 in the new position of Media and Corresponding Secretary, managing the Chorale’s social medias, website, and emails. Kate received her BA in Music from Sweet Briar College in 2015 and her Masters of Elementary Education from Lesley University in 2017. Kate has played several instruments over the years in addition to singing. Notably, she played for 3 years in SkiffleUSA, a women’s steel orchestra group at her alma mater Sweet Briar. There she learned to play djembe and other engine room percussion, tenor bass steel pan, and 7 bass steel pan under the instruction of Dr. Jeffrey Jones. Outside of the Chorale, Kate enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, creating various crafts, and playing with the family cat, Hunter.