Jennifer Fisher
Jennifer has been in the BCC's alto section for a few years now - her first performance was "Annie Get Your Gun" (not the "traditional" choral repertoire, but a very fun induction!). Her favorite performances are always "Messiah" – she feels there's just something magical about being part of a Birmingham tradition and of the community's yearly holiday festivities - now her Christmas season just isn't complete without the ASO, the Alys, and the "Messiah".
Jennifer’s been singing her entire life. She was raised on Broadway, jazz, barbershop (her Mom was in Sweet Adelines), and Baptist hymnals. Classical music was only what she listened to when she studied. When she transferred to UAB, she decided to take voice classes for fun. Her voice professor suggested she try singing classical music, and she suggested he refrain from partaking so heavily of recreational pharmaceuticals! But he was right - and he helped her fall absolutely in love with classical music. She joined the UAB Concert Choir and her first classical choral performance was "Carmina Burana" - to this day, nothing cheers her up like the men's chorus "In Taberna".
Currently, Jennifer’s back at UAB (after an unscheduled hiatus) in her senior year as a biology major. She’s doing undergraduate research and hopes to enter UAB's cellular and molecular biology PhD program next fall. She’s a nursing assistant during the week, and spend weekends as the sound director at a wedding house in Roebuck (where she’s lucky enough to get to work with a few ASO members). Singing with the BCC truly is what keeps her sane, and she can think of no better way to give thanks to a wonderful organization that she loves than by serving on its Board.
Shilpa Gaggar
Shilpa sings in the alto section of the BCC and has been singing with the BCC for 2 and half years. She is originally from New York and moved to Birmingham in 2001. She had always enjoyed music and singing, but discovered that she could actually sing while participating in musical theater in high school. At the University of Michigan, she was a member of the Women’s Glee Club for four years, after which she took a break from extracurricular activities while finishing pharmacy school and continuing on for residency training in Lexington, KY.
Shilpa currently works part-time as a pharmacist at UAB hospital and spends the rest of her time running after her 1 year old son, Akash. In addition to singing, she enjoys reading and amateur photography. She first learned about the BCC during a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In 2006, she met a BCC member at a Christmas party, who encouraged her to audition. She has really enjoyed getting back into singing and music and being a member of the Chorale. She is looking forward to the current season and is very excited about the future of this group.
Wayne Hay
Wayne has been a member of the BCC for 7 years and served on the Board from 2004 to 2007. During that time he was Treasurer for two years and headed successful spring fund raisers for 3 years.
Wayne’s musical background started in bands playing the Baritone Horn (Euphonium) from elementary school through college. Since then, he has been in church choirs and a few musical comedy productions. He is currently a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church choir in addition to being a proud member of the BCC looking forward to this new season.
Wayne was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his Bachelor and graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Louisville. After spending five years as an officer in the Navy’s nuclear submarine program, he started working for South Central Bell which later became BellSouth and is now AT&T. He retired from BellSouth as a Network Vice President and has since worked as a tax preparer. Wayne and his wife, Susie, have three adult children (one of which lives in Australia) and four grandchildren (two in Australia).
Margaret McCollum
Margaret sings in the soprano section and has been in the BCC for 4 seasons. She is a native of the Birmingham area, a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority and held the offices of Marshal and Historian, and a graduate of the University of Alabama in Early Childhood Education. She was a member of the Theater Guild of Rockingham County, North Carolina where she was in several productions as an actor, assisting with costumes and the stage crew. She played the principal role of Mrs. Sourberry (the Funeral Director’s wife) in “Oliver”.
Margaret enjoys teaching school, competitive figure skating, singing in the BCC and Independent Presbyterian Church choir. When time allows, she participates in the Birmingham Community Band. She began singing at an early age and has studied voice, been in church choirs and other musical organizations all her life. She played oboe in the Alabama Youth Symphony, marched and played in various bands and honor bands on flute, piccolo, and oboe. She has traveled overseas and had the opportunity to sing under Joseph Schreiber and now with Jeff McLelland. Their love for music and quest for musical perfection have had the greatest influence on her personal love and quest for musical perfection. Her travels allow her to share her experiences with school children to broaden their knowledge of the culture of different places around the world.
Margaret counts it a privilege to sing in the BCC with the Alabama Symphony, reaching out musically and presenting our talent as a group to every audience and in representing Birmingham.
Carolyn Tompkins
Carolyn has been a member of the BCC since last season, singing in the first soprano section. Relatively new to Birmingham, moving here in June of 2007 from Washington, DC, Carolyn now lives in Bluff Park with her husband, Jason, along with our two “kids”, Scout, a Greyhound, and Noah, a Manx. Prior to Birmingham, Carolyn has lived in ten states and two countries, so music has provided a wonderful stability.
Carolyn’s musical background extends back to early childhood with a total shift to vocal music during middle school. Her favorite experience was her time with the Erskine College Choraleers and Chamber Singers, in which she participated throughout her undergraduate years. Carolyn graduated from Erskine College in 2002 with degrees in English/Theatre Arts and History. She is currently back in school at Samford University working toward her Paralegal Certificate, as well as working full-time as a paralegal at the law firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt.
Carolyn is offering her time and energy to serve on the BCC Board because she feels it is an important part of contributing to an organization that is significant to her.
