VOICES UNITED
Voices United is an annual musical gathering of sacred music open to all singers from all walks of life, aged high school through retirement. There is no audition. Registered singers participate in preliminary rehearsals, followed by a two-day workshop with a guest clinician and conductor, capped by an evening concert in conjunction with the Manassas Chorale. 2026 will be our 26th year of Voices United!
Our guest clinician and conductor for 2026 is Joel Raney. Details to follow.
REGISTRATION
Registration for Voices United 2026 will open in January 2026.
Pre-registration is highly recommended, but you may also bring your registration and payment to one of the preliminary rehearsals.
COST: TBD
LIMIT: 150 singers
DEADLINE: TBD
TO REGISTER:
Online Registration – not yet available
Hardcopy Registration Form – not yet available
TO PAY:
Pay with credit card online – not yet available
Pay by check at a rehearsal: make payable to Manassas Chorale with “Voices United” in the memo line
You may also mail your registration form and payment to
Manassas Chorale, PO Box 101, Manassas VA 20108
REHEARSALS
Singers MUST attend at least three out of seven rehearsals (more are encouraged, but optional) to be eligible to participate in the workshop and concert. All rehearsals will be held in Weston Hall at Manassas Baptist Church.
Rehearsal schedule for 2026:
TBD
WORKSHOP
Friday March 20, 2026, 6:45 PM – 9:00 PM (check-in begins at 6:15 PM)
Saturday March 21, 2026, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
The workshop will take place at Grace United Methodist Church, 9750 Wellington Road, Manassas. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Bring a mask if preferred, your music, pencil for marking music, and a water bottle. Snacks will be provided. Please do not wear perfume/cologne or scented body lotions; some singers may have allergies.
CONCERT
The Voices United Concert will be held Saturday March 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. Singers will have a dress rehearsal prior to the concert (call time 6:00 PM). The Manassas Chorale will perform the first half of the concert, followed by the Voices United Festival Choir. The two choirs will combine for two songs directed by the guest clinician. The concert is open to the public. Tickets are available via the Hylton Box Office. Registered singers do NOT need a ticket.
ATTIRE
Manassas Chorale members will wear their concert attire. Singers in the Voices United Workshop Choir only will wear the following:
Men: dark trousers, necktie and jacket (preferably black) and white dress shirt OR black tuxedo with white shirt and black bow tie; black shoes and socks.
Women: long black skirt and black long-sleeve dressy blouse OR long black dress with long sleeves; black hose and black shoes. Simple earrings are acceptable, no dangling or large hoops; no bracelets or brooches. Pearl necklaces are acceptable.
Each singer will also need a black performance folder. Masks (if preferred) must be black.
ABOUT OUR GUEST CLINICIAN
Joel Raney‘s life as a working composer and musician has been shaped by many influences. Growing up in a rural Baptist church in Alabama fostered his love for the old hymns and the gospel style. As a performer and music director for theater productions, he gained insight into Broadway, popular, and jazz music. While owning his own commercial music company, he produced thousands of tracks of every conceivable style on short deadlines for fussy clients. His current role as one of the leading sacred music composers in the country is the culmination of all his experiences.
From early “playing by ear” explorations to earning a Masters in Piano Performance from The Juilliard School, Joel’s keyboard training continued through work as an accompanist, in the theater, as a pianist on TV commercials (think of the “Rhapsody in Blue” ads for United Airlines) and as a church organist. His vocal direction skills were first developed while getting his undergraduate degree in Choral Conducting at the University of North Alabama, then honed through years of writing and recording jingles. Since 2011, he has been conducting his own choir at the First Baptist Church of Oak Park, Illinois.
Today, Joel applies this lifetime of musical experience to the creation of sacred music. His hundreds of titles in print with Hope Publishing cover choral anthems for every church occasion, Christmas and Lent/Easter musicals, solo piano books, organ and piano duets, music for handbells, instrumental pieces and many other works. Although his main affiliation is with Hope Publishing, Joel’s work can also be found in the catalogs of Shawnee Press, Lorenz Corp., Fred Bock Music, AGEHR and Alfred Music (Jubilate).
Joel is a sought-after choral and keyboard clinician who stays busy performing throughout the country as a piano soloist and in duo-concert with organist and fellow Hope editor, Jane Holstein. He makes his home with his wife Susie in the Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park and is the father of three grown sons, Charlie, Sawyer, and Jesse.
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