Music at the Cathedral
Elizabeth Bemis, Transition Organist and Music Director
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Elizabeth Bemis is a life-long church musician with a diverse background in church music leadership and voice pedagogy. Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of South Alabama and a Master of Music degree in Voice Pedagogy (Contemporary Commercial Music) at Shenandoah Conservatory. She also holds pedagogical certifications from the CCM Institute, the University of North Texas, and Somatic VoiceworkTM.
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Elizabeth has had the opportunity to serve in a variety of denominations, including Baptist, ELCA, Episcopalian, and PCUSA. While in graduate school, Elizabeth served at Saint Andrew Lutheran Church in Centreville, VA as Director of Music, where she oversaw the music ministry and acted as adult and children’s choir director, organist, pianist, and handbell choir director. Since moving back to Mobile in 2021, Elizabeth has enjoyed singing at Springhill Presbyterian Church and continuing her formal organ studies with Dr. Randall Sheets.
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Elizabeth performed extensively in Mobile during her high school and undergraduate studies in collegiate and professional opera productions and was selected as the Madame Rose-Palmai Tenser Developing Young Artist with Mobile Opera for two consecutive years. Most recently, Elizabeth was featured as a soloist at the Kennedy Center’s Page-To-Stage Festival, premiering songs from new musical theatre. As a freelance pianist, Elizabeth has spent time collaborating with musical theatre and vocal performance majors at her undergraduate and graduate universities. An avid researcher, Elizabeth has presented her academic work at a number of conferences, including the Voice Foundation Symposium. Elizabeth currently works as an independent voice teacher, serving a diverse group of singers in contemporary and classical genres.
Mollie Adams, Cathedral Cantor
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Mollie Adams is a warm, vibrant soprano gaining a reputation for her "animated stage presence and vivacious and strong soprano voice." Cultivating a wide-ranging career of singing opera, oratorio, art song, jazz, and chamber music, Ms. Adams has been seen in a wide scope of musical performances. She has been an active recitalist and soloist, with an emphasis on art song interpretations.
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Ms. Adams recently performed the role of Annina, from Verdi's opera La Traviata, with Mobile Opera. She was last seen on the stage with Mobile Opera Company in the role of Mary Stone in The Devil and Daniel Webster, by Douglas Moore. Previous roles and performances have included The Mikado, Dvorak requiem, and several solo performances.
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Her collaborations with the Magnolia Chamber Orchestra have brought her throughout the Gulf Coast, presenting early chamber works of Handel, Vivaldi, and Bach. Equally at home with new works, Ms. Adams premiered the role of Ms. Dara in Dan Shore’s NOA chamber award winning opera, An Embarrassing Position. She was also praised for her “fine acting and vocal performance” as the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos.
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Throughout her career, Ms. Adams has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The White House, Mount Vernon, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Disney World, The Cutler Majestic Theater, and performed with numerous touring shows and performers.
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Ms. Adams is a dynamic performer of sacred music ranging from Jewish folk song to Anglican music, with an interest in both solo and choral collaborations. Her educational outreach and interpretations of jazz and art song has also proven to be a favorite of audiences.
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Ms. Adams is a Voice Instructor and Adjunct Professor at the University of Mobile and keeps an active teaching studio. She is continually studying the importance of voice science in pedagogy and her use of functional voice technique helps her students to thrive in both the classical and contemporary realms of singing.
Cathedral Soloists
Myles Garver, tenor
Laura Thomason, mezzo-soprano
Jake Thomason, tenor
JJ Haight, baritone
Instrumentalists-In-Residency
Natalie Hughes
Natalie Hughes grew up in Miami, Florida, and after moving to Mobile in high school, graduated from Davidson High School. She received her bachelor’s degrees in music education and trumpet performance from Florida State University. She then went on to receive her master’s degree in trumpet performance from The Boston Conservatory. Ms. Hughes began her teaching career in 2006, at Alba Middle School in Bayou la Batre, Alabama, where she was chosen as Teacher of the Year in 2013. After teaching at Alba until 2017, she then moved to Semmes Middle School in Semmes, Alabama. Since 2013, Ms. Hughes has served on the faculty of the University of Mobile as Instructor of Trumpet. Along with her teaching duties, Ms. Hughes is also an active performer throughout the Gulf Coast region, including performances with the Mobile Symphony, and also maintains an active private trumpet studio. Ms. Hughes is a member of the Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG).
Cameron Swann
Cameron Swann is an oboist who currently resides in Mobile, Alabama, where he teaches private lessons and is a freelance performer. Cameron graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2022, with a bachelor’s degree in music and a double concentration in instrumental music education and oboe performance. While at the University of South Alabama, he studied with Dr. Rebecca Mindock and Dr. Amy Selkirk. Driven by a passion for creating chamber music with others, Cameron has performed in many chamber groups with varying instrumentations. Cameron Swann plans to earn a master’s degree in oboe performance and may pursue a doctorate with the goal of teaching in higher education.
For nearly two centuries, Christ Church has enjoyed beautiful organ music within its walls. Over the years, four different pipe organs have occupied this space. Ours is an organ tradition we can be proud of and must maintain. Our pipe organ has been the “voice of our space,” and with continued maintenance it can play this role for generations to come.
Please support our historic organ by contributing to the Cathedral Organ Fund.