James H. Litton, Guest Conductor
James Litton is widely regarded as one of America’s most prominent choral conductors. A specialist in children’s choral techniques and an accomplished organist, he has conducted The American Boychoir in 49 states and 12 nations in more than 2,000 concerts during his 14-year tenure as Music Director.

James Litton has conducted choral and orchestral works throughout five continents, and regularly leads workshops and seminars in the USA and abroad. Most recently, he served as a Festival Conductor for the America Fest International Singing Festival for Men and Boys, where the American Boychoir served as Artists-in-Residence during the summer of 1998.

James Litton is the founder of a large number of choral groups, including community choral ensembles, college, church and school choirs. He has conducted on more than 40 recordings, including American Boychoir releases on Angel Records and several independently produced albums for other recording labels.

Prior to his appointment at The American Boychoir School, James Litton held positions at Westminster Choir College, Princeton Theological Seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary and The University of the South. A former member of the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Church Music, he participated in the preparation and publication of the Episcopal Hymnal, 1982. For 13 years, he was the Organist and Director of Music at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City, where he now serves as Artistic Consultant.


David Higgs, Guest Organ Clinician
One of America’s leading concert organists, David Higgs is the Chair of the Organ Department at the Eastman School of Music.

A native of New York City, Mr. Higgs held his first position as a church organist at age ten; as a teenager, he divided his time between studying classical music and performing in several rock/gospel/soul-music groups. He earned the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Manhattan School of Music, and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. His teachers have included Claire Coci, Peter Hurford, Russell Saunders, and Frederick Swann. In New York City, he was Director of Music and Organist at Park Avenue Christian Church, and later Associate Organist of the Riverside Church, where he also conducted the Riverside Choral Society. After moving to San Francisco in 1986, he became Director of Music and Organist at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley, and Organist/Choir Director at Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco.

A sought-after teacher, Mr. Higgs is a frequent lecturer and master-teacher for conferences, workshops, and festivals on both sides of the Atlantic, and for colleges, universities, and chapters of the American Guild of Organists. He was appointed to the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music upon graduation from that institution, and was later the Director of Church Music Studies at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. He was appointed to the faculty of the Eastman School of Music in 1992.

About the Staff

Wallace Hornady, course director and principal conductor, chairs the Music Department at Woodberry Forest School. The school organist, he also oversees the music theory and sound recording programs. A graduate of Belhaven College and Westminster Choir College of Rider University with degrees in organ and choral conducting, he was previously associate music director of the American Boychoir under James H. Litton, where he prepared choirs for orchestral appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa, the New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur, the Cincinnati Orchestra with Robert Shaw, and the New York Pops with Skitch Henderson.

Christopher Jacobson, course assistant conductor and organist, is the Organ Scholar at Washington National Cathedral. A graduate of Woodberry Forest School, St. Olaf College, and the Eastman School of Music with degrees in organ performance and a sacred music diploma, he is a prize-winning organist whose recital performances have been heard on three continents.