Over 40 years ago, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus came together under the guidance of conductor laureate John Oliver, the founder of the all-volunteer singing group managed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, Oliver retired, and two years later, decades of choral history have been passed on to the newly-appointed conductor, James Burton. Burton joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio to chat about his humbling new role as head of an all-volunteer chorus. “The dedication and the sheer number of hours that they give to take part in these performances is so impressive,” Burton said. “It’s amazing to me, the talent and the sort of non-musical talent that we have collected, there are doctors and professors and an incredible array of people, but yet they find time in their busy lives to come together and sing, and that’s just a wonderful thing.”
To hear James Burton’s full interview with Boston Public Radio, click on the audio link above.
