William t. adams memorial scholarship
CAS HONORS OUR FOUNDER WITH A SCHOLARSHIP IN HIS NAME
The Choral Art Society is pleased to offer a scholarship, created in honor of our founder, to a graduating senior from the South Shore who plans to pursue music as a major in college. The scholarship award is intended to help support a student who is applying for further study in any area of music concentration, including theory, composition, music management and merchandising, conducting, history, literature, performance, therapy, theater, etc.
Application Information
The Choral Art Society of the South Shore offers one scholarship each Spring to a deserving candidate pursuing their music studies at the collegiate level. The opportunity to apply for our scholarship is now being offered to students that live in in the following towns, regardless of school (e.g., homeschooled, charter school, regional school, vocational school, etc.). These towns match the makeup of our singers residences including:
- Abington
- Cohasset
- Duxbury
- East Bridgewater
- Hanover
- Hanson
- Hingham
- Hull
- Kingston
- Marshfield
- Middleboro
- Norwell
- Pembroke
- Plymouth
- Quincy
- Rockland
- Scituate
- Weymouth.
now accepting applicants for the 2026 scholarship.
Candidate Requirements:
- Be graduating from a local public or private high school or be homeschooled.
- Pursuing a degree in music including education, performance, composition, production, musical theater, or music therapy at a licensed, accredited university, college, or school.
- Complete the online application form below. Paper applications and incomplete applications will not be considered.
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In addition to the application form, email the following:
- 1 letter of recommendation.
- A copy of the applicant's high school transcript.
- A copy of the college/university offer of admission letter.
- Winners will be asked to provide a photograph as well as a short bio to be used in media announcement on the scholarship and for posting on our Scholarship Recipient page.
Scholarship application form
Applications are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is April 17, 2026.
Please fill out the form below to apply. In addition to filling out the form below, email one letter of recommendation, a copy of your high school transcript, and a copy of your offer letter to board@choralartsociety.org.
About William T. ADAMS
A BELOVED MUSIC EDUCATOR
Bill was a passionate and influential music educator. He was born in 1926 and raised in Butte, Montana. A musical household motivated Bill to learn how to play many instruments including flute and cello. Bill received his Bachelors (with honors) at The Cleveland Institute of Music. He went on to receive his Masters (with honors) from The New England Conservatory of Music. He also attended the United States Navy School of Music.
Bill made his home in Scituate, MA. For the majority of his teaching career, he was in the coveted music department at Marshfield High School. He taught music theory as well as conducted the orchestra and select choir.
Bill's ceaseless energy, encouragement, enthusiasm, and commitment to music-making was contagious. So much so, he created the Choral Art Society in his chosen hometown of Scituate in 1958. Whether in CAS, or a student in Marshfield, Bill exposed the musicians in his care to the wonders of choral music in ways that would sustain them throughout their lives.
Counted in the ranks of his multitude of students include composers, recording artists, opera singers, Grammy winners, and most importantly, more music educators. His students, and now the students of his students, have performed on stage at all the major venues around the world — from Carnegie to Royal Albert Hall, from Tanglewood to Ravinia, from The Met to Symphony Hall. His influence has inspired composers and performers in every conceivable music genre.
We honor Bill as we make music together and honor his legacy by helping high school seniors pursue their passion in music.