TIMOTHY COKER , a native Mississippian, came to Millsaps College in 1984. He received the B.M. (piano), M.M.(conducting), and Ph.D. (choral music) from the University of Southern Mississippi. Additional studies have included a National Endowment for the Humanities summer grant at the University of Minnesota ("Music and Society"), Schubert Festival at Westminster Choir College (choral performance and interdisciplinary), Choral Scholars study with Lara Hoggard (an in-depth study of Brahms' German Requiem), and numerous writing workshops.

Dr. Coker taught at Tupelo High School for 12 years. His choirs received national recognition performing at such places as the National Cathedral and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and for regional/state conventions for MENC and state conventions for ACDA. While at Millsaps College, he has taken three choral groups to Europe performing in such prestigious places as the Duomo in Florence, the Chiesa di San Marco de Miracoli in Rome, and Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria. Other performance venues have been located in Berlin, Prague, Brno, Dresden, Venice, Salzburg, Vienna, Regensburg, St. Gilgen, and Rome. National tours have included such venues as the UN Chapel, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City; the National Cathedral and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.; and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

Annual national tours have taken Chamber Singers and Singers to major cities such as Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, St. Louis, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Colorado Springs, Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham, Tallahassee, and Orlando.

Although Dr. Coker has a strong devotion and love for the a cappella choral tradition, while at Millsaps he has nurtured his interest in accompanied choral literature, especially orchestral/choral works. During his tenure Singers has performed such major works with orchestra as Handel's Messiah, Honegger's King David, Brahms' Requiem, Rutter's Gloria, Vivaldi's Gloria, Rutter's Magnificat, Rutter's Requiem, Beethoven's Mass in C, Schubert's Mass in G, Schubert's Intende voci orationis, Fauré's Requiem, Beethoven's Fantasy for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, Mozart's Mass in C (Sparrow Mass), Mozart's Mass in F (Credo Mass), and premiered two works by Millsaps graduate Samuel Jones -- The Trumpet of the Swan and Symphony #2: Canticles of Time.

As a practicing church musician, Dr. Coker has worked with children's, youth, and adult choirs in United Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches. He currently conducts youth and adult choirs at Northminster Baptist Church in the Jackson metro area.

Dr. Coker and his wife, Cheryl, live in Jackson and have three children, all of whom are Millsaps graduates. Cheryl Coker teaches voice at Millsaps.

E-mail Dr. Coker at cokertc@millsaps.edu.