McGaghie Wins Herford Prize

The American Choral Directors Association announces that the winner of the 2010 Julius Herford Prize is Dr. Michael Craig McGaghie.  His dissertation, “Macaronic Things: Thornton Wilder and the Late Choral Music of Dominick Argento,” was accepted at Boston University in fulfillment of a Doctoral Degree in Choral Conducting under the direction of Professors Ann Howard Jones, Andrew Shenton, and Richard Cornell.

   

In his recommendation letter Dean Benjamin Juarez wrote, “In the preparation of the thesis, Dr. McGaghie had the good fortune to spend a considerable amount of time with Dominick Argento…. In those conversations, Mr. Argento was enormously generous with his comments and insights into his own compositions.”   The committee’s comments included the following:  “sophisticated knowledge of both literary and musical elements,”  “very perceptive and insightful comments,”  “a very impressive paper.”   All felt it made a contribution of the highest caliber to the body of choral scholarship.

 

Dr. McGaghie is currently Director of Choral Activities, The Boston Conservatory; Conductor, Boston Conservatory Chorale; Music Director, Concord Chorus; and Assistant Conductor, Harvard Glee Club.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University (in chemistry), and hold Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees (in choral conducting) from Boston University College of Fine Arts.

 

Each year the Julius Herford Prize Subcommittee accepts nominations for the outstanding doctoral terminal research project in choral music.  Projects are eligible if they comprise the principal research component of the degree requirements, whether the institution defines the project as a “dissertation,” “document,” “thesis,” or “treatise,” etc. Eligibility is limited to doctoral recipients whose degrees were conferred during the calendar year prior to the year of nomination.  The winner receives a $1000.00 cash prize and a commemorative plaque.