Newsletter: November 2025
Claudia’s Comments
Dear Mu Phis,
It seems like fall finally found us and colder weather is on its way! WRR is continuing its tradition of daily caroling at Moody Auditorium. My son used to sing at the Adolphus with the Texas Boys Choir. It was always a treat to taste their delicious Christmas cookies and listen to the carols. I hope you can plan to do something fun to get you in the spirit. Between Dallas and Ft. Worth, music abounds!
Think about attending at least one concert series concert as they never disappoint. Be sure to let us know if you will be performing any Christmas programs so we can plan to attend.
Rebekah Boatright and I enjoyed meeting up with TCU Mu Phis. It seemed to make a difference being there in person and inviting them to apply for our scholarship. Rebekah encouraged them to call or email her and keep the lines of communication open. The drive was well worth the visit.
I hope you all stay well and warm and Happy Holidays!
In Friendship and Harmony,
Claudia Jameson, President
Next Meeting
monday, november 10 at 7p
Host: Claudia Jameson
Cohost: Tena Hehn
Program:
Rebekah Boatright, soprano and Tena Hehn, piano
Mary Ann Taylor, flute:- Selections for flute alone
Founders Day ceremony
No meeting in December.
Last Meeting
We welcomed Audrey Gates as a new member from Phi Tau, a flutist from Albuquerque, who is a middle school band director in Arlington.
September Meeting
We opened our 2025-2026 year at the home of Ashley Bouras where we were treated to a great recorder quintet program by members and spouses: Susan and Harald Poelchau, Ashley and Basil Boraus plus Lisa Beyer. They performed Pastyme with Good Company: 4 Renaissance songs and dances to open the new season.
Mary Alice Rich took this next photo of members present, including new member MacKenzie Wyatt – the tallest member.
Front: Mary Williams, Pat Suitt, Claudia Jameson, Susan Poelchau, Tena Hehn
Back: Guest, Rebekah Boatright, MacKenzie Wyatt, Julie Schmitt, Megan Gomen, Nancy Laine, Fran Pearson, Sylvia Taylor
October Meeting
On Monday, October 6 at 7pm we met at the home of
Pat Suitt who was assisted by co-hosts Pat Suitt and Fran Pearson.
Program:
Pat Suitt and Margaret Mulvey-Claiborne, duo-piano:
Played Grand Rondeau in A Major, Op 107, by Schubert
Spanish Dances #4 and #5, by Moskowski
The Harmonica Player, by David Guion
Claudia Jameson, soprano and Tena Hehn, piano performed:
Prayer, David Guion
All Day on the Prairie, David Guion
Featured at this meeting was music of David Guion, who was the uncle of Katy Freiberger.
chapter news
Anám, Continued on its new life
The lovely children’s opera by Mary Alice Rich and Claudia Jameson was performed at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on Oct 11 by the Fort Worth Opera company as part of the garden’s Hispanic Festival.
Claudia: “We were pictured on a WRR reel celebrating Fort Worth's Art Festival at Clearfork Shopping Center where Anám the Witch and Beatrice the Beautiful was performed. We were thrilled!....Rain or shine, @artworthfest was a fantastic weekend filled with art, music, and the very best that Fort Worth has to offer! Thank you to everyone who joined us at Clearfork for our performances, and stopped by our booth. We can’t wait to see you next weekend at Artes de la Rosa’s Día de los Muertos Festival!
Mary Alice: “We made it onto WRR's reel showing bits of ANÁM THE WITCH & BEATRICE THE BEAUTIFUL along with other FORT WORTH OPERA featured performances!! High five, Claudia Navarro Jameson!”
Claudia: “Enjoyed the fourth concert style performance of our children's opera Anám the Witch and Beatrice the Beautiful today at Marine Park, Fort Worth's celebration of Día de Los Muertos. Folks were decked out in costumes with faces painted like calaveras (skulls) Here pictured are Mary Alice Rich and I with director David Mejía Jr. along with Ft. Worth Opera's young artist singers Madeline Coffey, Melissa Martinez, Coleman Dziedzic and José Olivares.”
TCU Visit
Claudia Jameson has been in contact with Kaylyn Davis, secretary of the TCU (Epsilon Epsilon) chapter. She and Rebekah Boatright visited with them briefly at their meeting on November 3rd to introduce the collegiates to our alumni chapter and inform them of the Scholarship we offer.
TWU update
Students at TWU are awaiting permission from the Dean to establish a chapter. The process has not been straightforward or easy, and Ashley informed us about the reasons for this and the official process for establishing new chapters. Claudia repeated that we want to contact chapters to inform them that we want to be of assistance when possible, and to inform them about our scholarship. Basil has revised the website scholarship page to make this easier. Ashley suggests Claudia can contact Jess LaNore at IEB for access to the total student database, so that chapter members can be contacted directly.
There is no faculty/administrative support for a chapter at SMU, which is required for a chapter.
member news
Katy Freiberger
Member Katy Freiberger passed away on Oct 3. We are saddened by her passing after a long and fruitful life. We are happy that we were able to have a meeting at her house recently and got to see her and enjoy some of the music she composed. She is pictured here with Nancy Laine and Tena Hehn who played some of her duets at the meeting at her home, Behind them is a wooden rocking horse from her collection.
We will share information about a service for her when that is announced.
Mary Alice Rich wrote music for Mary Ann Taylor’s peace poem Bless the Space Between Us, that was sung at Thanksgiving Square and then in a worship service at her church: Lakewood United Methodist Church, with Mary Ann conducting.
Noe Garcia has a change of address. For new address, please reach out to Mary Williams.
Claudia’s son William, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter have moved to Japan for William to take a new job.
Mary Williams hosted a lady from Wisconsin for a week for a Friendship Force inbound journey from the Missoula, Montana club. Lots of sight-seeing and making new friends. Exhausting!
Her two east-coast daughters were in town for 4 days with their two Dallas area sisters for a “sister trip” in Fort Worth. Mary assisted in airport pickup and had lunch with them on Thursday. They don’t seem to get any older.
concert series
We had our first and second cancellations for the season – back to back. Patrick Orr took one of them but had to cancel also. Joo Chung and Chien Kim performed on Sunday Nov 2 with a beautiful flute concert. They had 86 friends and our regulars attend. Yoohoo!
On Novemebr 9th the excellent SEUM Quartet will perform selections from famous Tchaikovsky compositions. You won’t want to miss it!.
We are still listed as co-sponsors of the series along with the Library.
We are contributing: publicity (emailing list, posters at the Dallas libraries, Facebook notices) and a presence at the desk at concerts - greeting the performers, managing entrances and exits to the auditorium, keeping a list of those wishing to be on a mailing list …. And more. Contact Mary Williams to volunteer to be at the desk for a concert. This Desk Person position is a Mu Phi CHAPTER volunteer opportunity. Please consider volunteering to do this at least one Sunday afternoon this coming year.
Concerts start at 2 pm on Sundays at the downtown Library 1515 Young St. and are FREE. Parking in the garage under the Library is also free – enter from Wood St, behind the Library. Whether you are at the desk or not, please support these talented musicians who are volunteering their time and talent to help us achieve our goal of bringing music to Dallas, especially under-served populations. Bring friends.
Our website has our new season posted; as it progresses, more performer biographies and photos will be added as we receive them and their programs listed as we receive them.
CONVENTION
Call for Proposals - Mu Phi Epsilon International Convention
Your International Executive Board is looking for presenters, performers and composers to be part of the 2026 International Convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana (July 23-25)! This year’s theme, “Imagine, Innovate, Inspire,” celebrates creativity, leadership, and the amazing contributions our members bring to music.
Whether you want to share your research, lead a workshop, perform, or showcase your latest composition, this is your chance to inspire others and shine on the Mu Phi Epsilon stage.
All proposals are due January 1, 2026
More Information at: https://mpe.memberclicks.net/call-for-presenters-performers-composers
Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of an unforgettable convention experience. Submit your proposal today!
Musically yours,
Marshal Pugh
musicadvisor@muphiepsilon.org
See Triangle article and website for more information and application details: www.muphiepsilon.org/apply
international
Deadlines for some of grant opportunities are fast approaching. See full details at: