RICHARDSON, Texas (Nov. 25, 2003) -- The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), well known for its business, science and engineering excellence, will reach out to musically inclined members of the community in January by asking them to participate in the UTD Chorale under the direction of returning faculty member tenor Kim Childs.  

Childs returns to UTD after a two-year hiatus and is reviving community involvement in the chorale.

The UTD Chorale, which meets Mondays from 7 to 9:45 p.m., performs twice a year at the university as part of the ongoing Rising Stars series and is designed to help students, as well as members of the community, enjoy and appreciate music through choral singing.    The chorale's past performances have included diverse choral literature from the Baroque period to the 20 th century featuring compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Orlando di Lasso, Michael Praetorius, Antonio Vivaldi, Aaron Copland and John Rutter.

Auditions for community members will be held at the first Monday rehearsal, on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall (Room JO 1.216 of the Erik Jonsson Academic Center) on campus.   All community members who participate in the chorale will be required to pay a $75 materials fee.

For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UTD, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), e-mail sprater@utdallas.edu or visit the School of Arts and Humanities' web site at http://ah.utdallas.edu/ Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls about 13,700 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's web site at www.utdallas.edu.

About Kim Childs
Kim Childs, director of the UTD Chorale, is a full-time director of music at the Unity Church of Dallas.  He is the director of the 55-member Singing Unity Chorus, which will perform Handel's Messiah   (Part the First) Dec. 10 with the Dallas Chamber Orchestra.   He also conducts a five-octave adult handbell ensemble and several children's and youth choirs. Childs also was the conductor of the Northeast Orchestra for several years.