Ralph B. Woodward
Ralph B. Woodward, born in 1944, is the son of internationally renowned choir conductor, Ralph Woodward. His father was the long-time conductor of the renowned BYU A Cappella Choir. His mother, Margaret Barclay, was a gifted soprano, vocal pedagogue. and director of a children’s choir.
Woodward is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is an accomplished singer, French horn player, composer, and a respected authority on the care and development of the young voice. He founded the Salt Lake Children’s Choir in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1979 and presently serves as artistic director. He is also the originator of many of the compositions and arrangements performed by the choir.
The Salt Lake Children’s Choir has long been regarded as one of the finest ensembles of its kind in the nation. The choir is comprised of boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 15 who reside in the Salt Lake Valley and nearby communities. The children have sung music from the countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Namibia, Zambia, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Korea, China, and Native and African America. The choir is an international competition winner and has appeared with many internationally celebrated artists and organizations, including Grant Johannessen, Frederica von Stade, Marvin Hamlisch, Pete Seeger, Kurt Bestor, and on numerous occasions with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony. They have also recorded with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony. The choir has been heard on Public Radio International and PBS, and its singers are regularly requested for major sound-tracks and promotions, including projects for CBS, NBC, and Walt Disney Productions.
Some of Woodward’s compositions have also been arranged for more advanced choirs and have been sung by other choirs, including the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He has stated:
Coming from a musical family as I do, writing music came naturally and early. However, it wasn’t until the founding of the Salt Lake Children’s Choir in 1979 that such writing became directed outward to any real extent. By then I had performed widely as both a singer and instrumentalist, lived extensively in both Latin America and Europe and had developed a keen interest in a variety of cultures and musical traditions–an interest which continues to influence much of my own music selection and composition.
He graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in 1970 with a Bachelor Degree in Music. He has played in the American Wind Symphony, and also with the Rheinische Philharmonie and the Utah Symphony. He has also performed with jazz veterans, Chuck Mangione and J.J. Johnson, studied and recorded with horn genius, Herman Baumann, and worked in close collaboration with pianist Grant Johannessen and folk singer Pete Seeger.
In 1999, Woodward was awarded special recognition for his teaching, arrangement, and conducting at the Golden Gate International Children’s Festival and Competition. He also worked with Crawford Gates and Jerald Ottley to edit the choral portions of the Hill Cumorah Pageant music. Some of his music is now available in print, and sample recordings of his music can be found by visiting Cherbourne Music.
Follow Ralph B. Woodward
Recent Posts
Jennifer Thomas’ New Masterpiece – “The Fire Within”
There are two things that this author always finds to be consistent about the music videos that piano virtuoso, Jennifer Thomas, releases and that is her videos always have an amazing story to tell, and that story is told through her music in a masterful way. This is...
Monica Scott’s New Arrangement Reminds Us That Children are Like Little Stars and Every Star is Different
Henry "Henny" Youngman, an English-born American comedian and violinist famous for his mastery of the "one-liner,” quipped, “What is a home without children? Quiet.” And, Austin O'Malley, M.D., an ophthalmologist and a professor of English literature at University of...
Jordan James and Friends Deliver Powerful Message about Suicide Prevention with the Song “U Matter”
Jordan James Pinkston (professionally known as Jordan James), an 18-year-old member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Mormon Church), is a rising music artist who is making a name for himself. This Acoustic,...
Music in the Key of Life – Mary Hiett Shares Her Song for Breast Cancer Awareness, “Journey of a Pink Heart”
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to www.breastcancer.org, approximately 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. “Cancer,” a word that is all too familiar to many people, including this...
Music in the Key of Life – GENTRI Surprises Seriously Ill Girl at Home and Sings a Special Song
The word “minister,” when used as a verb, is defined as tending to, taking care of, looking after, or attending to the needs of another person. The scriptures teach us that we are to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Hebrews 12:12). Scriptures...
Music in the Key of Life – “Notes from the Heart”
In this edition of Music in the Key of Life, Mary Hiett shares the backstory to her album, Notes from the Heart. This was a fun album for me to create. Notes from the Heart is an album that is comprised of beautiful, positive music. I could not have achieved the...