'This place can be full of hope': Hear the voices of Christmas in an Alaska prison

POINT MACKENZIE — Chris More knew what he wanted to do with his life on the first day of his freshman year at Service High School. The son of two accomplished musicians, he found his passion in singing.

More was a standout performer in the choir, starring in high school productions, and later soloed with the Anchorage Opera. He studied choral conducting in college and got his master's degree in teaching.

Everything seemed to be falling into place. Pretty soon, he was back in Anchorage, conducting the West High School choir.

Then in early 2011, More was convicted of sexually abusing two of his female students. He went to prison and began staring down a 12-year sentence.

But he didn't forget his passion for singing.

"In the summer of 2012, when we were in Hudson, Colorado, I asked the prison chaplain if I could start a barbershop quartet, and he said why not make it a choir?"

Hudson was where Alaska used to house some long-term inmates, and after construction of Goose Creek Correctional Center in 2013, they were moved back to Alaska. More and his singers continued to put on an annual Christmas show at Goose Creek. This year, the choir of about 25 men performed its fifth concert for inmates and visitors.

"We never get this many people showing up for one thing, not even church," said choir member Chris Binkley. "It's almost like you can see the convict come off of people in here. It's like they have a feeling of escaping from where they're at, they have something to look forward to, something to be hopeful for.

"This place isn't the way society may see it," he continued. "This place can be full of hope, full of joy, and we can have something to live for. There's some people with good hearts in here, who've made some mistakes, but they're on the road to recovery."

More takes his job as conductor seriously. "The expectations for the choir are very high, as far as attendance and attitude go," he said.

But because the choir is composed of long-term inmates, More must be careful to avoid being perceived as disrespectful when correcting singers' mistakes and pushing them to be better.

For Steven Sparks, singing brings back good memories.

"This is the first time I've sung in about 30 years," he said after the concert. "I think that we brought some joy to men's hearts today."

Goose Creek probation supervisor Athena Dekarske takes pride in the musical programs at the prison.

"Music means a lot to the men," she said. "It's their passion. They love to play, they love to sing."

More views the choir as a kind of therapy for him and his chorus.

"Even though we're in prison, we're still men," he said. "But we're trying to change our lives, and these men are making a point of trying to do something positive, productive and powerful while they're incarcerated.

"We've all seen the studies that show how music can change lives, how it's great therapy, and that's no exception here," he said. "In fact, it's doubly so here. It's the ultimate light in a dark place."