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Founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Martha Brown, Voices in the Laurel is an inclusive community choral program based in Western North Carolina. The organization has grown from a small treble choir into four ensembles serving singers of all ages from Haywood County and surrounding communities. Through its commitment to fostering lifelong singers, Voices in the Laurel provides choral experiences that encourage musical excellence, personal growth, and meaningful community connections.
Over the past thirty years, Voices in the Laurel has presented concerts throughout the region, supported local music education through All-County Chorus events and educational grants, and participated in numerous community celebrations and service projects. Following Hurricane Helene, the organization raised more than $25,000 for local recovery efforts and coordinated support for children and families affected by the storm.
The choir has been honored to perform for Maya Angelou, appear with Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, open for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library concerts at Dollywood, and serve as a featured performing choir for the North Carolina American Choral Directors Association Conference in 2009. Additional highlights include singing the National Anthem for the Atlanta Braves for 22 seasons and performing for Biltmore Estate’s Candlelight Evenings for 26 years.
Voices in the Laurel singers have participated in regional, national, and international festivals and performance tours throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Lincoln Memorial, and Chartres Cathedral. Choristers have worked with renowned conductors and composers including Henry Leck, Dr. Rollo Dilworth, Bob Chilcott, Stephen Hatfield, Paul Caldwell, Ruth Dwyer, Jason Max Ferdinand, Cody Raven Morris, Robyn Lana, Adrian Maclin, and Liana Salinas.
Having completed its 30th Anniversary Season, Voices in the Laurel enters a new decade of service to Western North Carolina, continuing to enrich lives through choral music while building community, fostering belonging, and creating opportunities for singers of all ages to learn, perform, and grow together.
Martha Weathers Brown
Martha Weathers Brown
Artistic Director
A native of Elkton, Kentucky, Martha Brown has made her home in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, since 1994. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky; a Master of Music in Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Over the course of her thirty-three-year career in public education, Ms. Brown has taught music at every level—from elementary general music to choral music in the middle and high schools. She was honored as the Teacher of the Year at Central Elementary, and her middle and high school choirs received superior ratings at Music Performance Assessments. Her teaching has always reflected her deep belief that music enriches the lives of students and strengthens the communities it touches. In addition to her work in schools, she has served as a church choir director for children, youth, and adults, sharing her passion for music and faith with singers of all ages. Ms. Brown also invests in her singers’ individual talents, having worked with those who were selected for the North Carolina Honors Choruses, as well as for regional and national Honor Choirs through the American Choral Directors Association.
Since her retirement from Haywood County Schools in May 2024, Ms. Brown has continued to devote her time and talent to the musical life of Western North Carolina. She serves as conductor of all four ensembles of Voices in the Laurel, guiding young singers toward artistic excellence and joyful expression. She is also the Director and instructor for the Music Makers program at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville, where she nurtures a love of music in the next generation of young musicians.
Ms. Brown is sought after frequently as a choral clinician, musical consultant, and workshop leader throughout the Southeast. She is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the North Carolina Music Educators Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and Chorus America. She currently serves on the Board of the North Carolina chapter of ACDA as the Coordinator for NC Sings.
When she is not conducting or teaching, Ms. Brown enjoys singing with the Haywood Choral Society and the Chancel Choir at First United Methodist Church. She treasures time with her family, and especially delights in her role as “Tu-tu” to her grandchildren—Alva, Lucie, Evren and Silas.
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