Scores
Woodhouse Music Press is Frank W. Boles' primary publisher. Launch the Woodhouse Music Press website in this window or in a new window to download PDFs and purchase printed scores. Several additional scores are also available from Paraclete Press and St. James Press (St. James Press requires membership). ⇑
Bio
Frank Woodhouse Boles — composer, church musician, choral conductor and organist has been composing sacred choral literature, brass arrangements, and congregational music for 37 years during his tenure at St. Paul’s Church, Indianapolis, Indiana. As an active composer, his compositions represent the American Anglican Music tradition in the twenty first century. His diverse style ranges from accessible arrangements for choir and congregation to challenging festival pieces. Boles’ works have been published by Paraclete Press, St. James Press, and Church Publishing Inc. The majority of his works are now published by Woodhouse Music Press. Mr. Boles continues to accept new commissions.
At St. Paul’s Church, Mr. Boles created a nationally known choral program involving trained boys and girls with adult singers. This inter-generational choir is recognized throughout the United States and Great Britain for their choral tone and high musical quality. He also established St. Paul’s Choir School for young singers including a Choral Scholar Program which provides scholarships for private instrumental lessons for the choristers. Mr. Boles is the founder and director of Indianapolis Pro Musica, a semiprofessional chamber choir of twenty five voices. Established in 1984, this premiere chamber choir performs choral masterworks from Renaissance to the Twenty-first century. In 1979, Mr. Boles created St. Paul’s Music, an independently funded outreach arts organization for the community. St. Paul’s Music supports choral masterworks with orchestra, international ensembles such as Tallis Scholars and Chanticleer, and funded commissioned compositions by leading American composers including Richard Dirksen, David Hurd, Aaron Hunt, Bruce Neswick, Gerald Near, and Gerre Hancock.
Under Mr. Boles’ direction, St. Paul’s Choir has produced nine recordings including three recordings under the Pro Organo label. The choir was featured on recordings published by Church Publishing Inc. introducing the Hymnal 1982, and several locally broadcast television specials. Mr. Boles has led the choir on eleven tours of Great Britain and the United States, singing as choir in residence at Westminster Abbey, the Cathedrals of Ely, Canterbury, Durham, St. Mary’s Edinburgh, York Minster, and the National Cathedral.
Mr. Boles has been active as a clinician for children’s choir festivals and choral workshops. He has been featured as a guest composer and conductor at many choral festivals including The Mississippi Church Music Conference (1996, 2002) and Royal School of Church Music Summer Courses in New York City (2007), and Washington D.C. (2008). He has led workshops and performances for several events for The American Guild of Organists and The American Choral Directors Association. Mr. Boles has composed and performed for two General Conventions of the Episcopal Church (1994, 2012).
A native of Jonesville, North Carolina, Mr. Boles earned a BA in Organ and Church Music at Pfeiffer College, cum laude, and a Masters of Music Degree with High Distinction in Organ and Church Music at Westminster Choir College. His organ instructors include Stanley Scheer, Joan Lippincott, Harold Vogel, and Larry Smith. He studied conducting with Richard Brewer, Dennis Schrock and Joseph Flummerfelt. Frank resides in Indianapolis with his husband, Harry Mamlin and their four dachshunds: Frances, Roscoe, Lily and Lester.
Résumé
§ View or download résumé as PDF §
§ Organist and Director of Music · St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Indianapolis Indiana (1979 – 2015)
§ Director and Founder of St. Paul’s Music 1979-2015 · St. Paul’s Music is an outreach arts organization for governing, funding, and organizing arts events which are provided to the community. Under my leadership and management, St. Paul’s Music, a self-supporting organization, created an annual fund-raising system to support the arts series and established an endowment for the future, St. Paul’s Music Foundation. The committee structure focuses on community building, developing relationships with donors who believe in our mission and service, and collaborations with other local arts organizations and community stakeholders. Our mission: through the language of music, St. Paul's Music is a bridge between the secular and the sacred that creates community, connects people with the divine, and develops young musicians.
§ Artistic Director and Founder of Indianapolis Pro Musica, 1984-2015 · A semi-professional chamber choir of 25 singers from the Indianapolis community, specializing in a capella repertoire and chamber choral works with orchestra.
§ Director and Founder of St. Paul’s Choir School and Choral Scholars Program 2004-2015 · An educational and musical training program for St. Paul’s choristers. The Choral Scholar program establishes funding which provides for private lessons to deserving participants. Many of these young singers are not members of the church. I established St. Paul’s Choir as an intergenerational music ministry involving trained boys and girls who sing with adults. When singers take on such enormous liturgical responsibility they create an atmosphere of vitality and life for the worshiping community. The mind can accomplish these acts with remarkable ease, and youth respond readily to challenges, routine, structure, community, and above all, consistency.
Of all the Christian traditions, the Anglican Communion has nurtured one of the strongest traditions of worship led by choir. The choir leads worship through the singing of service music, canticles, hymns, psalms and anthems. The choir performs a sacramental role in worship, offering their gifts from God to the people of God through sung prayer. The choral program emphasizes personal instruction for each youth and adult singer, encouraging personal, musical and spiritual growth. The unique leadership provided by our youth and adults is a precious gift we give to the spiritual life of the church. In addition to weekly duties the singers lead monthly Choral Evensongs, perform major choral works with orchestra, and participate in choir tours.
§ Managed an annual budget of over $150,000 including staffing for choir program of 125 people, a scholarship program for youth, and a concert series.
§ Organized and managed a staff of 12 and over 120 volunteers in a world renowned intergenerational choral program.
§ Implemented personalized training choir program for children and adults, preparing them to be competent leaders in worship.
§ Provided musical education, spiritual support, and community building for the congregation, creating a strong corporate voice in worship.
§ Developed and managed an independently funded concerts series with a board of directors, by-laws, mission statement, and long range planning goals. This organization raised money, wrote grants, and organized concerts.
§ Commissioned compositions by leading American composers include: Richard Dirksen, David Hurd, Aaron Hunt, Bruce Neswick, Gerald Near, and Gerre Hancock.
§ Oversaw the installation project of a new 90 rank Casavant Organ as part of the renovation, expansion, and liturgical redesign of St. Paul’s Church, Indianapolis, (2007)
§ Organized and implemented eleven tours of Great Britain and the United States
§ Choir residencies include: Westminster Abbey, the Cathedrals of Ely, Canterbury, Durham, St. Mary’s Edinburgh, York Minster, the National Cathedral, St. Thomas Church, New York
§ Produced and directed ten recordings and several locally televised programs with St. Paul’s Choir and Indianapolis Pro Musica
§ Organized the annual Indianapolis Three Choir Festival, 1998-2015
§ Composer and Conductor for the 2014 General Convention of the Episcopal Church
§ Chair and featured conductor of Association of Anglican Musicians National Conference, 2006
§ Director and Organist for St. Paul’s Choirs in performances and workshops for conventions of The American Guild of Organists, The American Choral Directors Association, and Association of Anglican Musicians
§ Coordinator and Chair of American Guild of Organists Regional Conventions, 1983, 1993, 2015
§ Performer and Composer for the 1994 General Convention of the Episcopal Church
§ Director of the Indianapolis Lutheran Choir, 1980-1983
§ Assistant Organist and Choir Director, Trinity Episcopal Church, Princeton, NJ, 1978-1979
§ Instructor of Organ, Assistant Instructor, Westminster Choir College, 1978-1979
§ Pfeiffer College (1973-1979), Misenheimer, NC · Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organ and Church Music, cum laude · Organ instructor, Stanley Scheer; Choral instructor, Richard Brewer
§ Westminster Choir College (1977-1979), Princeton, NJ · Masters of Music Degree with High Distinction in Organ and Choral Conducting · Organ instructors: Joan Lippincott and Harold Vogel · Choral conducting professors: Dennis Schrock and Joseph Flummerfelt.
§ Indiana University, Bloomington, IN · Private studies with Dr. Larry Smith
§ Personal Objective - a holy dialogue that allows all to respond in worship to their Creator
§ Compositions for choir, brass ensemble and organ, and musical settings for congregation and choir
§ Anthems, hymns, and service music published by Paraclete Press, St. James Press, the Church Hymnal Corporation, and Woodhouse Music Press
§ Mayoral Proclamation of Frank Boles Day in honor of my 25th anniversary at St. Paul’s Church, 2005
§ Celebrations with commissioned anthems, honoring my 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th anniversaries at St. Paul’s
§ American Choral Directors Excellence Award
§ Outstanding Young Hoosier Award by the Indiana Jaycees, 1988
§ Featured articles in the Indianapolis Star on my work at St. Paul’s Church
§ Listed in Who’s Who in the Episcopal Church
§ Member of the music honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda
§ First runner-up in the 1977 National Organ Competition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1977
§ Accompanist - Pfeiffer College Concert Choir, seven tours in the United States and Europe, 1973-1977
Music in liturgy has been described as "having the power to unite the whole assembly in active participation to their Creator." This is at the core of a vital music ministry. The duties of a church musician involve being a pastor, teacher, and performer for the worshiping body of Christ. Music combined with words touch the people of God as they participate with their eyes, ears, and voices and connect their everyday life to the divine. As a church musician my four primary goals are:
Accomplishing such goals requires several components. Every successful music ministry must have a support system of parish members and clergy who advocate its goals and its leaders. This is best accomplished by mission statements and objectives created by the professional staff along with volunteers within the program. Any successful music ministry must be owned by the church members through their active participation and support. Some of these people may be in the choir, some may participate through committees, and others may be a part of the worshiping body in the pew. All are integral to a dynamic musical and liturgical experience in worship, believing fervently that music is a unique vehicle for communicating the word of God. The active involvement of boys and girls in the choral program requires much support from parents, clergy, and adult singers. The unique leadership provided by choristers in the church today is a precious gift we can give to the future life of the church.
Music in worship is not merely a decoration or an ornament. The root of all worship is the Word of God, and music helps God’s Word become incarnate to the people of God. Music brings to life the meanings of words and their images. As in the words of F. Pratt Green, music brings the worshiping participant “into a new dimension in the world of sound.” Whether it is anthems sung by a choir or service music and hymns sung by the people, effective music and liturgy stimulate our minds, our hearts, and our souls. It is the solemn duty of the church musician to be an example to the choir and the people in the pew, reminding them of their duty to soulfully participate in the words and music through their ears, their eyes, and their voices.
Please use the form below to contact American composer, choral conductor, and organist Frank W. Boles, available for commissions, choral festivals, and other engagements.