Community choral group gets new leader
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on November 3, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Carl Ashley has taken over the position of director for Goldsboro's III Century Singers and has been leading the group in rehearsal for their upcoming Christmas concert.
Goldsboro's III Century Singers has a new director. Carl Ashley took over the reins from Durwood McDonnell back in September.
The 47-year-old came to be the new director when III Century Singers president George Strunk called the University of Mount Olive, where Ashley works, and asked for a recommendation.
Although he had not been able to attend any of the group's concerts due to his work schedule, Ashley had heard good things about it.
So he accepted directorship.
"I choose the music we will perform," he said. "It's also my responsibility to prepare the group for a concert and make them as good as I can. And I'm responsible for getting new members for the group."
Ashley has no new plans for the group right now. He's relying on what its members have done in the past until he becomes more familiar with their music styles.
"But I am contemplating distant ideas for III Century Singers," Ashley said.
"They're a wonderful group of people and they have a great reputation in the area."
III Century Singers began in 1976 originally as a bicentennial group. It became so popular that members continued to do concerts every year.
Ashley comes from a musical family.
"Both my parents were into music," he said. "My mom plays piano every Sunday at her church. My dad is a high school band director. It's kind of in my blood."
Ashley made the decision to be a choral director when he was a junior in high school.
"I went to a district festival and heard and choir on stage that was just awful," he said. "I sat in my seat and though, 'Gosh, I could do better than that.' That's when I decided maybe I should do that."
Ashley has several degrees in music, church music and choral conducting.
He has had two full-time music positions in Boca Raton, Fla., at a Southern Baptist church and a United Methodist church.
He was also at St. Andrew School in Boca Raton for 11 years as middle school and high school choral director. And he directed a community choir in Florida.
Ashley is currently assistant professor of music at the University of Mount Olive. He also directs two choirs, teaches music technology and education, teaches American popular music and vocal courses and gives private voice lessons.
He is a published composer and has had premieres of his works all over the world, most recently in Moscow and Beijing.
His wife, Marie, is an adjunct instructor of voice at the university. They have a 4-year-old son, Ian.