Phil Woodmore Singers
The Phil Woodmore Singers assembled in 2017 after the Artist Director of
Theater of War Productions, Bryan Doerries, commissioned Dr. Philip A. Woodmore to
compose musical selections for Antigone in Ferguson. The now Off-Broadway smash
hit, is a musical based on a new translation of the classic Greek play which premiered in
Saint Louis, MO on September 17, 2016. The original choir was composed of members
of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department Choir, Trinity Community Church
Choir, students from the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in University City, as well as
singers from the greater Saint Louis community. Four talented musicians accompany
the original choir: Sergeant Ja’Mes Davis on saxophone, Assistant Chief of Police
Jason Davis on keyboard, Bernard Long Jr. on drums, and Pastor Willie D. Woodmore
on guitar.
Dr. Philip A. Woodmore, a Saint Louis native, has been directing choirs for the
past 22 years and is grateful for the opportunity to lead the Phil Woodmore Singers.
Since the premiere of Antigone in Ferguson, the choir has performed all over the
country including university performances, community centers and even a basketball
court in Brooklyn.
The Phil Woodmore Singers made their international debut at the Stavros
Niarchos Foundation International Conference in Athens, Greece in June 2017 and their
national debut in July 2017 at the Veil Prophet Parade performing in the opening
number and also performing an original arrangement by Dr. Woodmore of America the
Beautiful. After a two-year national tour of Antigone in Ferguson and The Drum Major
Instinct, the second production Dr. Woodmore composed for Theater of War
Productions, members of the choir traveled to New York for two Off-Broadway runs of
the Antigone in Ferguson in 2018 and 2019. This road to success in the arts during the
pandemic has been hard, but we are excited to see what God will put before us as well
continue on this musical journey.