Dale Aldermann, Choirmaster of St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, N.Y., outgoing president of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and former music director of the Gentlemen of St. John's College Ensemble, Cambridge, England, has accepted the call to become All Saints' new Director of Music. He replaces Tom Foster who retired in June after 27 years which saw the shaping of the music program to one of national acclaim, incorporating two adult choirs, a children's choir, four commercial CDs for Gothic and two in-house recordings; and an outstanding Music Guild concert series.

"I can't say enough about Dale, as a musician and person," said the Rt. Rev. Michael Garrison, bishop of western New York. "When I am at the cathedral, I am exalted by the music, and he is the backbone of that. His moving will be a big loss not only to the church but to the community."

At All Saints', Adelmann, 41, joins the music staff of Craig Phillips, associate director of music and resident composer; and Brian Driscoll, a doctoral student at UCLA, who is the parish Organ Scholar.

"I'm absolutely delighted with this new post," said Adelmann, by phone. "I have admired this parish for many years, and long known Tom and Craig as friends. I am very excited to be coming to a place that not only has such a dynamic music program, but so many other wonderful things going on."

Born and raised in southern Minnesota, he received his B.Mus. with high distinction from the University of Michigan and his M.Mus. from Yale University's School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music where he received the Charles Ives Organ Scholarship. He also studied for a year at the University of Freiburg, Germany.

In 1987 he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for the study of Anglican choral worship at the University of Cambridge, England. He remained to complete a 1993 Ph.D. in that subject and became the first North American to sing in the renowned Choir of St. John's College. He is author of an academically acclaimed book on the nineteenth-century revival of Anglican choral worship, which was the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation, and he has published several chorus arrangements of spirituals and carols. From 1988 to 1991 he was musical director of the Gentlemen of St. John's College, arranging and conducting their extensive performing and touring schedule.

Adelmann has been organist-choirmaster of St. Paul's Cathedral since 1991, where he is responsible for 175 choral services and concerts a year, and recruiting and training a men and boys' choir, a girls' choir and an adult choir. "Musically he is a superb craftsman, and liturgically he is very knowledgeable," said Bishop Joachim Fricker, interim dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1994-95. "I believe Dale is a remarkable person with a very clear sense of vocation to be critically involved in the Church's life and mission."

In addition to his duties at the Cathedral, Adelmann, since 2001, has been music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. Last April he made his conducting debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in a joint performance with the Philharmonic chorus featuring Lukas Foss' With Music Strong and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony.

He is active as a guest conductor and clinician for the Royal School of Church Music in America and has recently conducted choral festivals in Atlanta, Birmingham, Hartford, New York City and Tucson. "Dale's strengths are numerous-he is one of only a handful with the extensive training in the English context of choral singing," said Martin Jean, professor of organ at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, who has known him professionally for 20 years. "His knowledge of the sacred choral repertoire is immense - those four years at Cambridge involved literally hundreds of masses and services. But he is thoroughly American, and has been able to adapt that way of thinking to American ecclesiology."

Adelmann will assume his post at All Saints' on 1 September. He and his partner, Tom Discavage, an Episcopal priest, are looking forward to the challenges of starting a new life in a very different environment. "I'm thrilled to have Dale as our new Director of Music and look forward to warmly welcoming him and Tom to life at All Saints'," said Rector Carol Anderson. "Dale has the faith, commitment and the musical ability we were looking for - it's a match all the way around. He can build on the wonderful music program Tom Foster has created here."

The selection of Adelmann was made after a lengthy search process. "Because of All Saints' reputation, we were blessed to receive many applications from throughout the country," said Chris Winchell, spokesman for the search committee whose members also included Rob Kass, Connie Koenenn, Kate Moyer and Jennifer Fain. The selection process consisted of extensive screening and multiple initial interviews, conducted by the committee and the rector. Eventually three finalists were invited to All Saints' for extensive interviews and orientation to parish life here. "The caliber of these individuals was simply superb," said Chris, "and the final selection process was both exciting and humbling."