A Tale Of Two Symphony Singers
Monticello Native Unita Harris and Joneen Padgett, current Monticello resident, have both spent their entire lives in and around music so it’s only fitting that these two vocally talented ladies have found themselves as select performers with the renowned Atlanta Symphony Chorus & Chamber Chorus. The coveted position doesn’t come without an audition and a lot of competition. Here’s a bit of their stories.
Unita has been singing, well, as long as she can remember. It’s actually part of her DNA. Her entire family sings as her mother Gail and late aunt Connie, known as The Marks Sisters, were a traveling gospel duo. And boy could they “tear up” the church with their melodic sounds, and her father was no different. Their singing was a huge impact.
“Growing up, we would always be traveling because my parents would be singing on programs with their groups. A lot of time was spent singing together on long car rides or at church,” said the songstress.
She’s known that music was in her future ever since the Hurricane Marching Band visited the primary school for a music show. She’s also instrumentally inclined playing the French horn and percussion since high school and learning basic piano in college for her music degree.
High school was so long ago, said the 30 something singer, but that was where she began racking up awards – her brother too.
She remembers All State Chorus accolades in high school but her awards picked up in college where in her senior year she placed third at State at NATS, second place musical theatre at Southeast Regional SERNATS, and 15th for musical theatre at Nationals. At that time, she was the first person to ever place at regionals and go to nationals from her college. Then there was her selection for the Convocation of Artists and Scholars in 2010 and 2015.
With that background, it’s no wonder Unita made her way to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra ASO Chorus and Chamber Chorus. I asked how that came about, she said her best friend informed her of the annual audition process. They auditioned and she’s been with the esteemed group since 2019. Since then she had the honor of singing at the late First Lady Rosalyn Carter’s funeral and the late President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday celebration last year. She’s also performed with the Ebenezer Church Commemorative Choir on MLK Day and this year’s renewal of the ASO and Ebenezer collaboration concert.
Unitas favorite piece to perform is “Ouvre ton Coeur” by Bizet, it’s her go to audition piece! Her least favorite is “Dank sei dir, Her” by Handel. “it has a simple melody but the technique required to sing it is so great, ” she said. “ After Covid, I can no longer do it justice and sustain the elongated phrases as written.”
And Unita would love to perform “Your Daddys Son” from Ragtime.
Operatic powerhouses Jessye Norman and Audra McDonald top the list of her favorite musical theater artists. Both forged a path for voices like hers she noted.
“Jessye’s voice was very similar to mine and it’s who I would always listen to for inspirational technique. It’s rare that a dramatic soprano would be able to actually sing soprano professionally in their career. We’re always given the alto role because of the weight of our voices and range. Jessye said no to this standard and would not allow people to limit her.”
Unita doesn’t have a favorite genre of music, as one might expect from a true musician.
“I listen to everything from heavy metal to gospel. It all depends on my mood or what I need to learn that week.”
Joneen has musicality pumping through her veins, The Monticello First United Methodist Church choir director and pianist has loved and lived music all her life. It began as a Lassie from Tallahassee, where her father was a vocal director at the Florida State University. As fate would have it, that’s where five of his six offspring would study including Joneen who majored in music education.
Upon graduation in 1972, the young singer took off for Europe where she lived and sang for four years before returning stateside. That’s when she began her teaching career, teaching music to all grade levels until her retirement after 31 years. Joneen would have taught longer but she said her bad knees got the best of her, as she was always on her feet, so surgery it was and retirement came. She spent those years in Dekalb and Gwinnet counties and is proud of her two Teacher of the Year designations earned in each of those school systems.
Joneen moved to Jasper County in 2014 with her now late husband Cliff. It was just a year after her retirement.
Her career with the ASO began 30 years ago, almost as long as Unita has been around. She auditioned in her 40s and has stuck around making the hour long trek into Atlanta for three decades. When I called to schedule our tete-a-tete she was in the car, on the road to ASO practice. As part of the ASO Chorus, she explained that being a part of the Chamber Chorus is invitation only – no auditions there.
Joneen has many fond memories of her times and travels with the ASO. She’s been to Germany, a place of familiarity, with the group three times. Then there has been California and Carnegie Hall in New York a few times. Her fondest memories include working under former director Robert Shaw and performing with the Berlin Philharmonic to a raving standing ovation, which was rare for the time.
It’s been a tough last year for the longtime songstress. Joneen lost a sister and her husband, life changing somber events, between which she had what could have been a life altering surgery that threatened her singing gift. Six months ago, she required a surgery that involved moving her vocal cords in order to place some discs in her neck. Doctors cautioned her that the surgery could cause her to never sing again. She took the chance, had the surgery, and is still singing!. Though she has a lingering cough that is a side effect of the procedure, doctors told her that would pass in time.
