Tapestry

Tapestry. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, released by Carole King in 1971.

Tapestry. It is a decorative fabric, a form of textile art traditionally hand-woven on a loom.

Tapestry. It is the gorgeous musical fabric Heartland Sings has woven with silver threads of song throughout the past 25 years, billowing out over this community.

Stay with me on the metaphor here: As the Company has continued to grow year over year, we have stitched ourselves together with the citizens of this community. Countless patrons have been entertained by our sublime musical offerings; countless individuals have  been positively impacted by our cultural outreach events and innovative educational programs. 

Let’s look back for a moment at the early interlacing of threads that started with a bold new vision of what the Vocal Arts could be and could do right here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

When organized in 1997, forward-thinking director Maestro Robert Nance and an ensemble of original singers named the organization the Heartland Chamber Chorale. That moniker spoke to the group’s regional focus and general locale (America’s Heartland), represented the ensemble’s goal to perform primarily chamber choral music (Chamber) rather than symphonic choral music, and included a musical word indicative of choral music (Chorale).

Leading up to the 10th Anniversary in 2007, the Company engaged in a lengthy process of strategic planning and developed the product-focused, self-sustaining trademark Heartland Sings!™ that derived from the legal name (Heartland) and stated precisely what we did (Sing!). 

The Board of Directors formally adopted a modified name change to Heartland Sings, Inc., in May 2015, as it better represents us as a production company with a broad, varied platform for the creation of many productions. It also introduced our model of vocal artists at three levels: full-time professionals, part-time contract professionals, and a volunteer community-based chorus. 

Throughout our 25 years, the Heartland Sings purpose—to produce programming that enriches and entertains audiences, and to serve as a professional educational resource for the art of vocal and choral music performance—has never changed or waned. Thankfully, there have always been people along the way willing to pick up the thread and support us and our mission.

Since our founding, we have intertwined with people in this community and beyond, creating a “wondrous woven magic” of hopes, dreams, and possibilities. We are looking forward to weaving our way through the next 25 years, and beyond. Join us here on the blog fortnightly as we peer into the heart of Heartland Sings.