About the Halifax Master Chorale
Our Story
Founded in 1971, the Chorale, formerly the Bel Canto Singers of Daytona, has been a cornerstone of the Daytona Beach music community for more than 50 years. We present a diverse array of choral performances, ranging from Baroque to Broadway, captivating audiences with world-class shows featuring soloists, chamber groups, and orchestral accompaniment. With your support, we will continue to flourish and provide high-quality musical experiences to Daytona Beach and surrounding communities.
Meet Our team
Artistic Director, Dr. Adam Stich
Adam Stich is an accomplished conductor and arts leader whose work spans concert stages, universities, and community ensembles. In addition to directing the Halifax Master Chorale, he serves as the conductor and program development associate with Mid-America Productions in New York City, where he leads choral performances at Carnegie Hall and helps develop national and international concert programming.
Adam previously served as Director of Choirs and Chair of the Music Department at Scottsdale Community College, overseeing multiple ensembles, guiding curriculum, and leading major performances and collaborations. He also held the position of District Arts Coordinator for the Maricopa Community College District, directing large-scale arts initiatives across ten colleges serving nearly 200,000 students.
As artistic director of ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra, he commissioned and premiered new works, and led a wide range of repertoire from masterworks to staged musicals. His experience also includes teaching at Daytona State College, where he contributed to the vibrant Daytona Beach music scene, as well as at Middle Georgia State University, Wesleyan College, and Eastern Illinois University.
An active clinician, adjudicator, and conference presenter, Adam has served on the board of the Arizona chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts from Rollins College. Adam joined the Bel Canto Singers, now the Halifax Master Chorale, in 2025.
Accompanist, Quinn Moss
Quinn Moss, a native of Ormond Beach, is a collaborative pianist known for his versatility and passion for working with singers. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance from Stetson University and Georgia Southern University. He also studied organ with Dr. Boyd Jones.
Currently serving as the full-time Music Director at St. James Episcopal Church, Quinn leads an active music program. His work includes directing choir and handbell ensembles, accompanying singers on both organ and piano, presenting several choral masterworks each year, and helping lead a vibrant concert series that features musicians from across the region.
Quinn lived in Washington, D.C. for a few years, where he accompanied community and high school choirs throughout D.C. and Virginia, building a strong foundation in choral collaboration. He deeply values the collaborative spirit of ensemble music-making and looks forward to continuing his work with the Halifax Master Chorale. Quinn joined the group in April 2026.
Board of Directors
The Halifax Master Chorale, a premiere, auditioned community chorus known for its engaging choral performances, is led by a volunteer Board of Directors that includes current choir members plus the artistic director. Jeanne Luke currently serves as president, guiding the ensemble's contributions to the Daytona Beach music scene.
history of the Halifax Master Chorale/Bel canto singers
A New Choir is Formed
A New Choir is Formed
In 1971, Judson Rogers started teaching public school music. He had also served as music director for more than three years at a local Daytona Beach church. In December, a group of singers from the church choir gathered for an evening of Christmas caroling. Caught up in the thrill of performing together again, they decided to start a community chorus. At first it was called the Judson Rogers Chorale, founded and conducted by Judson Rogers.
Bel Canto is Born
A New Choir is Formed
In the fall of 1973, the group decided to change its name to the Bel Canto Singers which is Italian for "beautiful music". At first, Bel Canto rehearsed at Stetson University, but later moved to Seabreeze United Church which was more convenient for the choir members. They were fairly loosely organized for the first few years, borrowing music and performing works with only piano or organ accompaniment.
An Official Non-Profit
In 1979, the leaders wrote its charter and by-laws, and Bel Canto soon became an official non-profit organization in the state of Florida. After beginning an active fund-raising campaign, the group expanded its activities to include hiring professional soloists and instrumentalists to complement their performances. In 1982, they received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Arts Council in 1982. The grant was renewed and doubled in 1983 which supported their continued growth.
The Music Flourishes
In the spring of 1982, the group joined Stetson University's choirs to perform
Carl Orff's exciting "Carmina Burana" with the Florida Symphony Orchestra in Orlando. Then, in January, 1983. they again joined with Stetson for a 100th anniversary celebration performance of Beeth0ven's "Ninth Symphony" with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony. In February of 1983 the group was extremely fortunate to have world-renowned composer and arranger of spirituals,
Jester Hairston, as guest conductor for a concert of his works. In May of 1984, Bel Canto joined other area singers and the Florida Symphony Orchestra at the Bob Carr Auditorium to perform Mendelsohn's "Elijah".
Two International Tours
In July 2002, Bel Canto went on a European concert tour and sang in several venues in Austria: Salzburg, St. Gilgen, Eisenstadt and Vienna; in Prague, Czech Republic; and also visited Germany and Budapest, Hungary. In July 2004, Bel Canto went on a concert tour to the British Isles where they sang in England: Stratford, York and London; Scotland: Edinburgh and Sterling Castle; and Bridgend, Wales.
The Founder Retires
After leading the group for 37 years, Judson Rogers stepped down as director in the spring of 2009. Singer Norris Williams then served as director for the next six years, from 2009-2014.
A New Conductor
A New Conductor
A New Conductor
Dr. David Redman became the Bel Canto artistic director in 2014 and led the group until 2025. During that time, the choir performed a variety of works from Broadway to Bach, including spirituals, popular tunes, masterworks such as Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, and both sacred and secular music from all periods. The group was unable to sing in person for much of 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, so the early '20's became a time of rebuilding for Bel Canto.
A New Era
A New Conductor
A New Conductor
Dr. Adam Stich took over as artistic director for the 2025-2026 concert season and immediately began expanding the vision for the group. He worked to recruit additional talented singers, moved the rehearsals to Daytona State College, and began seeking performance venues beyond local churches. Under his leadership, the group has grown and so have our audiences. As a reflection of this growth, we are beginning a new era in 2026, and rebranding as the Halifax Master Chorale, featuring the Bel Canto Chamber Singers.
in the news 1971-present
