OUR FOUNDING STORY
The Carolina Tarheel Voices applied for official University recognition on September 15, 1988 and were approved on September 25, 1988.
The founders were all members of the UNC Glee Clubs through the Spring of 1988, under the direction of Michael Tamte-Horan. When Tamte-Horan moved away from Chapel Hill, the former but current Glee Club members returned in the fall of 1988 and learned that we would no longer sing mixed arrangements, only men’s arrangements and women’s separately. This no longer interested the majority of those who had enjoyed singing both separate and mixed arrangements in concerts and on annual interstate spring tours, for Art credit hours no less.
We felt there was need for a mixed acapella group. After some investigating and some discussions, we met one evening at a restaurant on Franklin Street to decide on a name and discuss more specific requirements, such as “purpose” and “scope.”
Rumors abound as to some of the possible suggested names that evening. Some were humorous, others more serious, but we offered many before someone suggested the Tar Heel Voices. A few may have chuckled at first as we continued to offer more names, but we kept coming back to Tar Heel Voices. It did not seem terribly original and yet we could find no evidence that any other group, certainly not a student-singing group, had ever used the name. Once we were confident that it had not been used in this way, we all agreed, on the Carolina Tarheel Voices, having no Internet to check our spelling of “Tar Heel.”
Together we composed the following statement of purpose and scope:
“Carolina Tarheel Voices is a mixed choral ensemble intended to serve the University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill and beyond through performances on and off campus, at special school and community events, in formal concert, and on tour. We emphasize the singing of a wide variety of music, ranging from classical to contemporary in scope. Students are provided the opportunity to develop their singing voices and musicianship and to share music with others.”
- Tim Pittman Class of 1989
