Why singing in a choir is so good for you (scmp.com)

Creative self-expression is an innate desire and a reason why performing arts are an important part of a well-rounded education. In the case of choir practice, there are also physical benefits.

Jane Engelmann, head of performing arts at The Peak School, grew up in a musical family. "It was a noisy household. I was in the church choir, the school choir, the school orchestra, drama group. Any chance to get on stage, I'd be there."

She says the benefits of singing are ... continue reading

Mt. Zion Gospel Choir brings 'gospel carols' to Madison (madison.com)

They’re called “gospel carols” – traditional Christmas carols with an infusion of soul.

This unique blend of genre and seasonal sounds is the brainchild of Leotha Stanley, the director of the Mt. Zion Gospel Choir in Madison. Stanley says the tunes were some of the first things he wrote when he started writing music. And they’ve served to introduce the decades-old gospel choir to many new fans in recent years.

The Mt. Zion Gospel Choir began performing with the ... continue reading

Oncology to encore-logy: cancer patients' choir demonstrates musical therapy with Christmas carols (scmp.com)

A group of cancer survivors have taken to song, celebrating Christmas with a choral performance at the Gold Coast Hotel in Tuen Mun.

Forty choir members from Maggie's Cancer Centre in Tuen Mun sang carols in the lobby of the resort hotel at the invitation of Sino Group, the hotel owner and a supporter of the centre's music therapy services for cancer patients.

Originating in Britain, the centre began operating in Hong Kong in 2008 to help people "live through and beyond the illness".

"We are delighted to ... continue reading

Watch: Northern Quarter Boys Choir sing Jingle Bells (Manchester Evening News)

Everyone loves singing at Christmas. A Perfect way to feel jolly and forget about your cares for a few minutes.

So, why not enjoy some Christmas music courtesy of the Northern Quarter Boys Choir - and help them raise money for charity.

They've recorded a ... continue reading

Choir keeps it in family as little Emily makes it a quartet of songbirds ( Belfasttelegraph.co.uk)

It's a talent that runs through four generations of the one family.

Rosaleen O'Hagan (79) will be bursting with pride when she leads her daughter, granddaughter and great-grandaughter in the same choir at a Christmas carol service to raise charity funds.

And while she has sung for VIP guests in the past, she says nothing will beat performing with her family.

The family of singers are believed to be ... continue reading

The Bach Choir proves itself Britain's brainiest cultural institution (independent.co.uk)

The Bach Choir, one of the world’s leading choruses, has sung in prestigious venues around the UK, collaborated with the Rolling Stones, and worked on blockbuster films including Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.

Now the choir, whose history includes such notable names as Sir Charles Villiers Stanford and Ralph Vaughan Williams, can also add the title of the brainiest cultural institution in Britain to its honours board.

The 140-year-old institution was ... continue reading

Christmas Carols by Andrew Gant review – surprising stories of how seasonal songs came to be (The Guardian)

In the middle of this year’s carol service you may find yourself ambushed by one of the following random thoughts.

a) “Good my page” (“Good King Wenceslas”). Why isn’t it just “my good page”? Oh, hang on, maybe that’s how it was in the original ... Czechoslovak?

b) “G-l-o-o-o-o-o-r-i-a” (“Ding Dong Merrily on High”). I can’t hold my breath much longer. Actually, I think I might be hyperventilating. I’m definitely feeling weird. I need to hang on to the pew in front.

c) “I Saw Three Ships”. But Bethlehem is landlocked! Isn’t it? If I keep my phone in my handbag, I can Google it during the next reading.

Carols inspire untidy thoughts because ... continue reading

A Cornucopia of Choral Christmas Carols (the cherry creek news)

Call me a glutton if you wish, but I can’t seem to stay away from the glorious music that re-emerges each December. No, not all those silly ditties about Santa and his reindeer. It’s songs of the True Meaning of the season that never fail to touch me. There is a gentleness and simplicity in so many of the choral works, new and old, that eloquently remind us of a long-ago story about an infant in a manger who would one day change the world. That event, so rudely converted into an excuse for a year-end buying spree, is still observed by amateur and professional choirs in churches visited by those who embrace the sanctity of the season and the wondrous beauty of the music celebrating it. There are oodles of such events – I caught three of them in one weekend recently – and it’s not too ... continue reading

Vienna Boys' Choir visits patients at CHOP (6abc.com)

UNIVERSITY CITY (WPVI) --

An internationally recognized choir made a special stop in University City on Tuesday. They sang for some of the young patients receiving treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The sound of 23 young voices filled the atrium of the hospital. The world renowned Vienna Boys' Choir made a stop here on their U.S. tour, and with each note they sang, the holiday cheer swelled.

Madeline Bell, President and CEO of CHOP, tells us, "It's just a way to get away from bedside and feel a little more normal like kid and enjoy some of the holiday festivities."

Patients and ... continue reading

St. Henry choir will perform for Pope Francis (cincinnati.com)

ERLANGER – Members of the St. Henry District High School Chamber Choir will sing for Pope Francis on New Years Eve at St. Peter's Square for the blessing of the Vatican Creche.

Twenty choir members and 32 adults will make the pilgrimage to Italy the day after Christmas. The trip will begin in Venice when the choir sings for Mass at the Basilica of St. Mark. The group will also tour the churches and holy places of Padua, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Assisi and Rome.

Following the blessing with Pope Francis, the choir will ... continue reading

St. Paul's Choir School releases debut Christmas album (cbsnews.com)

The boys of St. Paul's Choir School are in the holiday spirit, and these boys have plenty of reasons to sing. The school's choir recently released a debut album, "Christmas in Harvard Square," reports CBS News correspondent Vladimir Duthiers.

From the rehearsal rooms to the church, music bellows through the Cambridge, Massachusetts, middle school where only 12 new students are accepted each year.

Thomas Potts, a 7th grader, said the audition was "very friendly."

"It was ... continue reading

The Choir: New Military Wives, BBC2 - TV review (independent.co.uk)

Choirmaster Gareth Malone is back!" announced the voiceover for The Choir: New Military Wives (BBC2)– a valiant attempt to introduce a sense of occasion, but in vain. It's been barely six weeks since Malone was last on telly in The Choir's Children in Need special.

That project produced his second hit record, but the first came in 2011, when he organised the first Military Wives choir, and their single "Wherever You Are" reached the Christmas No 1 spot. There are now more than ... continue reading

New York Choral Society and Orchestra to Play Rarely Heard 'St. Paul' by Felix Mendelssohn at Carnegie Hall, David Haynes Music Director (THE CLASSICALITE)

The New York Choral Society and Orchestra with Music Director David Hayes will present the rarely heard "St. Paul" by Felix Mendelssohn at Carnegie Hall.

The performance will be sung in original German with English subtitles. Soloist will include
soprano Sarah Shafer, mezzo-soprano Haejung Shin, tenor Vale Rideout, baritone Mark Delavan and the Princeton Girlchoir.

The New York Choral Society, founded in 1958, has become known by audiences and critics for the quality of its performances and the diversity of its repertoire, which encompasses well-known choral masterworks as well as many compositions rarely heard in concert halls

The story of St. Paul is filled with ... continue reading

Letter: Choral Society's 50th thrills audience (southcoasttoday.com)

Anyone lucky enough to enter New Bedford’s First Unitarian Church on Sunday afternoon was treated to a musical delight: the Greater New Bedford Choral Society’s 50th anniversary Winter Concert.

Led by director Gerald P. Dyck, the chorus presented a wide-ranging program featuring nostalgic winter ballads, gems of the Classic period and original compositions by Mr. Dyck. The Choral Society is known for tackling difficult material, and this concert was no exception; the choristers handled even the most challenging pieces with fluidity and vigor. Even the uncharacteristic “Binary Fifty,” Mr. Dyck’s demanding rhythmic composition, was delivered with precision and energy.

To this listener, the ... continue reading

County's oldest choral group to host holiday concert (Orange County Register)

The Master Chorale of Saddleback Valley, the county’s longest-standing choral performing group, will host A Merry Little Christmas concert on Sunday in Mission Viejo.

The concert features classic holiday favorites as well as other songs by the group’s nearly 50 vocal musicians.

The Master Chorale of Saddleback Valley began in ... continue reading

Tidings of Comfort and Joy:' Sippican Choral Society performs jubilant 49th annual Christmas concert (Wicked Local Rochester)

MARION – The Sippican Choral Society performed its 49th Christmas concert “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” Sunday, Dec. 7, to a packed house at Tabor Academy’s Wickenden Chapel and set the tone for what lay ahead for the regional chorus as it enters its golden year.

For nearly 50 years, residents of the South Coast have kicked off their festive holiday season with a ... continue reading

Westland St. Damian Choir performs at the Fox Theatre (hometownlife.com)

Visitors to the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport will be treated to the sounds of the season Monday evening courtesy of the 24-member St. Damian School choir.

This is the third year the Westland school's choir, made up of second- through eighth-graders, has serenaded travelers and this year it's serving as a warm-up to an even bigger performance Friday evening at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. The choir will perform at 7 p.m. on the lobby stairs before the 8 p.m. performance of Cirque Dream Holidaze.

"I got a notice about it and ... continue reading

KC Chapel Choir launches 'Sing De Chorus (jamaica-gleaner.com)

Not even heavy showers could daunt the high spirits of guests and members of the Kingston College Chapel Choir's golden voices last Tuesday. The boys performed to launch their CD Sing De Chorus at the Alhambra Inn on Tucker Avenue in St Andrew.

Guest speaker Marigold Harding, custos of St Andrew, commended the choir members, recounting their 2012 performance at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, USA, as part of Jamaica's 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations.

"They were worthy ambassadors who helped to enhance Jamaica's reputation in the international arena as a country of talented persons," Harding said.

She noted that "the ... continue reading

Music review: Christmas with the Australian Boys Choir (The Sydney Morning Herald)

CHRISTMAS WITH THE AUSTRALIAN BOYS CHOIR ★★★☆
Auburn Uniting Church
December 13, 14

Coming to the end of its 75^th year of operations, this well-known choir entered into the celebratory spirit of the season with a solid program that gave a platform to all singers connected to the organisation – experienced and beginners – as well as calling on a large audience of family members and supporters to work through five carols woven into the afternoon's progress.

As a focal work, conductor/artistic director Noel Ancell chose John Rutter's three-movement Gloria, which requires a brass octet, timpani and percussion as well as organ, a band that added barnstorming meat to the congregational items.

Several passages made a ... continue reading

Reading Phoenix Choir seek new recruits for Cork Festival (getreading.co)

A leading amateur choir has been selected as one of just 10 in the world to compete in a prestigious choral competition.

Reading Phoenix Choir will be singing to win in the Cork International Choral Festival 2015 in the spring.

The choir beat competition from singing groups in 14 countries to take part in the contest.

Now they are looking for new recruits to help them come home from Ireland with a trophy.

David Crown, the choir’s musical director, said: “I am delighted that Reading Phoenix Choir will be taking part in one of the world’s most prestigious choral competitions.

We’re going to ... continue reading

Nine Lessons and Carols: Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys celebrates the season (mlive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS – In November 1918, World War I ended with an armistice, and war-weary people to celebrate peace on earth for the first time in four years.

At Cambridge University in England, a former British Army chaplain organized “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” to be held on Christmas Eve.

The service of lessons from the Bible followed by anthems and carols reflecting the readers that was born at King’s College soon spread throughout the English-speaking world.

The Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys celebrates its ... continue reading

Kokomo Children's Choir comes to an end (Kokomo Tribune)

That’s why seeing the choir come to a close at the end of the year will be difficult for Swartzendruber, who founded the choir in 1997.

The Kokomo Children’s Choir has provided weekly training through three choirs for singers who came from as far away as Upland, as well as opportunities for travel.

Singers spent a week living in the Precinct of Canterbury Cathedral in England, toured part of Europe with the Alaskan Children's Choir and traveled to Hawaii, first learning songs in Chinese, Japanese, Maori, Filipino and Hawaiian.

Numbers for the choir have dwindled in recent years, however, causing it to come to an end.

“The main reason [we’re closing down] is I have ... continue reading

Youth Chorale leaders take time to reflect on choir (Sctimes.com)

The Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota started in 2005 with a small group of 55 singers and one choir. Now, 10 years later, it has 385 past and current singers that perform in three choirs.

The chorale is taking the chance during its 10th season to reflect on how far it's come, and where it hopes to go in the future.

Choir members performed at a holiday event Sunday night, the choir's first fundraiser, to raise money for a choir tour to Chicago next summer.

Ten years ago, artistic director Garrett Lathe was the ... continue reading

Messiah review – Cardiff Polyponic Choir celebrate their anniversary in stirring style (theguardian.com)

Cardiff Polyphonic Choir has been celebrating its 50th anniversary in some style already this year, and it is a measure of its standing that it has by tradition sung Handel’s Messiah on a triennial basis taking turns with the BBC National Chorus of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Soprano Rebecca Evans - an acclaimed Rodelinda at ENO earlier in the year - had appeared as soloist with the choir early in her career and, now the choir’s president, returned for this festive performance. Particularly in the first half of the evening and the aria Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, Evans’s graceful phrasing and the elegant ornamentation – an ongoing legacy of the role of Charles Mackerras in her singing – were a treat.

It was also the ... continue reading

St Mary’s signing choir in Dublin: ‘For deaf people, their voice is their hands and their bodies (THE IRISH TIMES)

It’s often assumed that when profoundly deaf children are involved in any kind of musical performance it’s mainly for their therapeutic benefit: a worthy attempt at confidence-building or something that might help with their speech development.

But watching the teenagers of St Mary’s School for Deaf Girls choir perform the traditional Irish song May the Road Rise Up to Meet You in Irish Sign Language (ISL) is to witness something special. Not special in the “special needs” sense. Just special. Hands moving, faces animated, bodies swaying; it’s a compelling performance, not least because it is effectively bilingual.

The girls are signing in time to ... continue reading

Hospital Choir raise Music Hall roof in Christmas cancer concert (Aberdeen Journals Ltd)

Festive harmonies and Christmas carols echoed around the Aberdeen Music Hall as the NHS Grampian Hospital’s Christmas Carol Concert gave a children’s cancer charity a major boost.

The annual event raises money for CLIC Sargent, which supports young people and children whose lives have been affected by the illness.

An enormous choir and a string section played holiday classics to a packed audience, including favourites such as Joy to the World, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, and O Holy Night.

However, the biggest rounds of applause were ... continue reading

School Winter Concert Features Choral Groups (CapeNews.net)

Falmouth High School’s award-winning chorus, repertory singers, and a cappella group, Soulfege, will present their annual winter concert on Thursday, December 18, at 7 PM in the high school auditorium.

Students will ... continue reading

Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival (Manila Standard Today)

THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) invites choirs from all over the world to compete in the 2nd Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival, Manila, 2015 that will take place on July 22-25, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The competition is open to choirs that will qualify in the following categories: Folk Song, Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Choir.

The Festival, which follows the highly successful Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival held at the CCP in July 2013, is named after the ... continue reading

York High School choral holiday concert (seacoastonline.com)

YORK - The York High School music program will present the second of its two annual Choral Holiday Concerts at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at St Christopher's Catholic Church in York Village. The concert, under the direction of Rob Westerberg with accompanist Deborah Clough, will include performances by the York High School Honors Treble Choir, Chorus and Chamber Singers. The program will ... continue reading

Review: Scarborough Choral Society (The Scarborough News )

The first half of the choral society’s Christmas concert was a performance of a fresh telling of the nativity story by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy with music by Sasha Johnson Manning.

The choir was joined by singers from Scarborough College and Bramcote School, trained by Becky Leeson and Martin Richardson.

First performed in Manchester by local choirs, this revised 2009 version places narrative links between the verse-repeating forms of 12 new carols that range from jaunty dancing rhythms reminding us of the carol’s dance origins, to a serene and flowing lullaby.

The musical style is ... continue reading

Fantastic Media backs Huddersfield Choral Society (Huddersfield Examiner)

Marketing agency Fantastic Media hit the right note with its latest client.

The award-winning Birstall-based agency has been appointed by the world-renowned Huddersfield Choral society to undertake a full brand review and review of their marketing strategy.

The campaign – to begin in January – will promote the the society through new branding, website, email, PR and social media to increase overall awareness, ticket sales and concert bookings for the internationally recognised choir.

Huddersfield Choral Society is renowned for its ... continue reading

Budapest International Choir Festival and Competition: you can still register!

Registration is still ongoing for the Budapest International Choir Festival and Competition taking place from March 29th to April 2nd 2015 at Budapest, Hungary.



The organisers, Meeting Music, had announced earlier on their website and their Facebook page, the extension of registration deadline from 30th November, to 10th January 2015.

According to their Facebook page, about 50 Choirs from 18 nations have registered already.

Based on score, Bronze, Silver and Gold Diplomas will be awarded while Choirs that cant achieve a Diploma will get a Certificate of participation. The winner of the Competition will win the grand prize of 4,000 euros.

You can get detailed information about the event in pdf format here. And you can also get the Registration form here.

Manuscript showing 'birth' of 1,000 years of choral music discovered (telegraph.co)

A manuscript showing the "birth" of 1,000 years of musical tradition has been discovered by an intern at the British Library.

The musical score is thought to be the earliest known practical example of polyphonic music, a type of choral song written for more than one part.

The notation, written in faded ink on a centuries-old parchment, is believed to date back to the beginning of the 10th century and is described as the “birth” of polyphonic music.

Showing notation for two vocal parts which ... continue reading

Review: Huddersfield Choral Society's Christmas Concert (Huddersfield Examiner)

The most accurate performance you will hear this Christmas in any music genre is Julie London’s 1963 recording of Fly Me To The Moon featured in the ‘Magic and Sparkle’ television ad.

Her intonation, rhythmic precision and forward motion are stunning, and the Choral Society came pretty close to this benchmark in this year’s Christmas Concert.

But then they had Brian Kay as ... continue reading

Winning bid for Lauridsen choral score sets new record (Providence Journal)

A fragment of a musical score, hand-written and autographed by  acclaim choral composer Morten Lauridsen,  has fetched $741 on eBay to benefit the Knight Memorial Library in the Elmwood section of Providence. The previous record for a Lauridsen autograph was $650.

The winning bidder was ... continue reading

Dakota Choral Union takes the stage to support KOTA Care and Share Food Drive (KOTATV.com)

RAPID CITY, S.D. -

Dakota Choral Union presented their annual Christmas at the Cathedral performance. More than 100 choir singers took the stage at Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. They sang traditional holiday songs from the 17th century all the way up to the 21st century. The performance was free but cans of food were collected as a part of the KOTA Care and Share Food Drive.

Dr. Charles Canaan, artistic director for the Dakota Choral Union, says they have ... continue reading

Concert review: Auckland Choral, Auckland Town Hall (NZ Herald)

Uwe Grodd chose his words carefully, introducing Auckland Choral's Monday Messiah.

The conductor urged us to remember Handel's 23-day vigil writing this oratorio, combining the best elements of all his other music to create a "potent mix that binds us together as only a great masterwork can, regardless of race, religion or background". Last year, Handel's score was proudly given to us without cuts, but tonight there were nips and tucks. The losses were telling, from the brief choral burst of Let all the angels of God worship Him to the graceful conciliation of the air, If God be for us.

Soprano Madeleine Pierard commanded the ... continue reading

Double Medals For MUSON Choir (Guardian News)

THE MUSON School Diploma Choir, a musical group in Nigeria has won gold and silver medals apiece at the just concluded 7th International Choir Festival and Competition, which took place at Isola Del Sole, Grado, Italy.

Led by its director, Sir Emeka Nwokedi, the group, which consists of 34 members left for Rome, then moved to Trieste and finally to Grado where they lodged for the five-day event which held between October 1 and 5.

The choir, conducted by ... continue reading

Gallery: The Miracle Minstrels choir (The Sacramento Bee)

The goal for these performers, most of them stroke survivors, is just to make a joyful noise.

Choir member Gary Barmore of Elk Grove, right, and others perform during the annual Christmas luncheon that brings together stroke support groups throughout greater Sacramento area to ... continue reading

A bit of Danish flavor: Choir performances to feature a nod to exchange student from Denmark (Bemidji Pioneer)

BEMIDJI -- The annual holiday concert featuring the Bemidji High School choirs will have an international flair this week, thanks in part to one of its members.

Jacob Friis-Hasché, 16, a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, is among 13 foreign exchange students enrolled at BHS this semester. After a fellow exchange student signed him up for the fall musical, "The Wizard of Oz," Jacob met and got to know the high school's music director, Chris Fettig, and Jacob opted to join choir, even auditioning and being selected for a spot on the 16-member Madrigal Choir.

The Madrigal Choir, as part of Monday's show, will perform a ... continue reading

Nearly sellout crowd takes in MSO's ‘Home for the Holidays’ show ( Herald Mail Media)

Maryland Symphony Orchestra fans got more bang for their bucks Sunday during the group's annual "Home for the Holidays" concert when two choirs and two soloists joined the orchestra at The Maryland Theatre.

The theater helped get the holiday spirit going with a blue, snowflake background behind the orchestra and a Christmas tree adorning each side of the stage.

The orchestra kicked off the musical offerings in the ... continue reading

New voices add to middle school concert (The Concord Journal)

An extra layer of harmony will join the middle school voices at their winter concert next week: their high school counterparts.

“Debbie and I have done concerts together since I started at the middle school. We always thought it was important for our kids to see her kids perform and to see what they could achieve,” said Dan Rivenburgh, the chorus director at the middle school, referring to high school choral director Deborah Smith.

“For this concert we’re doing something new, and it’s ... continue reading

Leif Solberg: Orchestral, choral and organ music CD review – celebrating a neglected Norwegian symphony (The Guardian)

This remarkable disc marks a double celebration: the 200th release from the innovative Toccata label and the 100th birthday of Leif Solberg, the unashamedly tonal Norwegian composer whose undeservedly neglected 1951 symphony was rescued from obscurity by Martin Anderson, the redoubtable founder of Toccata. The Liepaja players unearth the dark thread that runs under the ... continue reading

Choral society set perform Christmas concert (Worthing Herald)

THE Rowland Singers Choral Society return to the Assembly Hall this Christmas with a special festive concert.

Taking place at 7.30pm on Thursday, December 18, the Christmas Celebrations Concert will also feature Worthing Youth Big Band, following a successful showing last year.

The Camelia Botnar Foundation will ... continue reading

Subdued Programming, Soaring Soloist Illuminate Greenwich Choral Society Christmas Concert ( Patch Media)

Anchored by the magnificent “Magnificat” of John Rutter, and graced by the voice of mezzo-soprano Kimberly Sogioka, the always anticipated Christmas Concert of The Greenwich Choral Society was titled “Christmas Magic”, and the audience at Christ Church Greenwich was again transported by the choir’s entry with handbells and candles, singing the tender and lovely “Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head,” a traditional Appalachian Melody. The opening ritual never fails to move and transport listeners to the season.

Selected by Conductor Paul Mueller, this year’s program included traditional carols, an audience sing along, and with ... continue reading

Get in tune with Louth Choral Society Christmas story ( louth leader)

Louth Choral Society will perform their Christmas concert, ‘The Christmas Story’, by Heinrich Schütz, on Sunday December 21, 7.30pm at St James’s Church in Louth.

A Christmas favourite, it is scored for soloists and choir in up to six parts and accompanied by members of the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Richard Crossland.

Taking the soprano solo will be Margaret Crossland, a singer who has used her voice to ... continue reading

Grace Episcopal Church Unveils Schedule of Christmas Choral Services (TAP into LLC)

The choirs at Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, under the direction of Dr. Anne Matlack, and organist Dr. Eric Stroud are preparing for special choral services of the season.

Grace’s Sunday Dec. 21 fourth Advent services are: 7:30 a.m. with organ music and hymns; 9 a.m. with adult and children’s choirs; 11:15 a.m. quiet service with adult choir beginning with Taize meditation, and 6 p.m. spoken “Last chance Mass.” The services at 9 and 11:15 will include a traditional Emmanuel Procession.

In preparation for a ... continue reading

Kona Choral Society offers free holiday concerts (West Hawaii Today)

Kona Choral Society will deliver holiday cheer during two free holiday concerts offered at 4 p.m. Dec. 20 and 21 in the Makaeo Pavilion at Old Kona Airport Park.

Ringing in the season with live choral performances, the weekend of free entertainment will herald the society’s fourth annual holiday concert tradition. Led by artistic director Susan McCreary Duprey and accompanied by keyboard, ukulele, and percussion ensemble, the 130-member volunteer adult and youth choruses of Kona Choral Society will present a mixture of contemporary, traditional, and ... continue reading

Choral Society welcomes student singers in Friday concert (Your Houston News)

Celebrating its 43rd season, the Montgomery County Choral Society is in preparation for its upcoming concert with sounds of “Christmas Inspirations” on Friday night.

Continuing its tradition of educational outreach, the Choral Society will be joined by the Fourth Grade Choir from Giesinger Elementary School of Conroe and the Fifth and Sixth Grade Choir from Coulson Tough K-6 School of The Woodlands.

The selected fare for this festive evening includes ... continue reading

Local choral concerts bring plentyof jingle to the holiday season (fredericksburg.com)

With the holiday season heating up, area choral groups are gearing up to perform their annual holiday concerts.

PUTTING A SPIN ON CHRISTMAS CLASSICS

The Spotsylvanians will perform their 12th annual “Candlelight and Carols” concert Saturday and Sunday at Spotsylvania Middle School.

The holiday concert is one of the ... continue reading

Behind prison walls, choral voices soar (BND.com)

The men's choir sounded not unlike any other singing group rehearsing "Joy to the World" for an upcoming Christmas concert. Male voices blended softy before sweeping into a crescendo to end the piece. Falling silent, the singers looked anxiously at director Harold Poeling.

Poeling had goose bumps.

"Oh, gentlemen," he said. "That was awesome."

This wasn't your ... continue reading

Penzance Choral Society's annual programme of Christmas music and readings (West Briton)

CHRISTMAS began in earnest on Friday evening as Penzance Choral Society performed its annual evening of festive music and readings.

The first half of the programme, at St Mary's Church, comprised the one work, Night Of Miracles, a cantata by American songwriter John W Peterson, a major influence on evangelical Christian music from the 1950s to the '70s.

A moving work – albeit short of truly memorable music, to my mind – the composer emphasised the ... continue reading

Faulkner County choral groups sing holiday carols at state capitol (thecabin.net)

Two of Conway’s own helped kick off an annual holiday tradition at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock on Monday – Sounds of the Season.

The Theodore Jones Elementary Jaguar Choir and Ellen Smith Elementary Tiger Tones each performed at different times in the day, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin invites Arkansans to ... continue reading

MUSIC REVIEW - Bourne Choral Society, Programme of Advent and Christmas Music, Bourne Abbey Church (Spalding Guardian)

Town choir making a chorus line exceedingly festive

No Christmas season would be complete without the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.

As a setting, Bourne Abbey was far from a distant second on Saturday when the town’s choral society put on its own version of the university city’s Christmas Eve fixture which was first held in 1918.

Bourne Choral Society, directed by ... continue reading

New York Choral Society Presents CHRISTMAS AROUND NEW YORK Tonight (broadwayworld.com)

The New York Choral Society (NYCS), under the direction of Music Director David Hayes, is taking Christmas Around New York, a festive and unique Christmas program, to new audiences across New York City. The first performance, in Manhattan, is a "rush hour" concert tonight, December 10 at 6:30 pm at Saint Peter's Church, Lexington Avenue at 54th Street; the second, in Staten Island, is a family-oriented matinee performance on Sunday, December 14, at 3:00 pm at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and ... continue reading

Xara Choral Theatre heads to Alderney Landing (Chronicle Herald)

Xara Choral Theatre promises a magical winter evening of music and theatre on Saturday at Alderney Landing Theatre in Dartmouth.

Xara Choral Theatre Ensemble releases its first full-length CD, Here on These Branches, at 6:30 p.m. with a performance and talk by artistic directors Christina Murray and Claire Leger.

“The recordings will consist of Canadian selections, including never-recorded pieces by Sarah Quartel, Brent Lee, Jenny Trites and Jeff Enns, paired with music from Finnish, Estonian, Norwegian, and Lapland-Aboriginal traditions, including works by composers Ola Gjeilo, R. Murray Schafer and Jaako Mantyjarvi,” says a news release.

At 8 p.m., Xara Youth Ensemble, for ... continue reading

DSU holiday choral concerts to feature electronic element, processional, surprise number (SaintGeorgeUtah.com)

Holiday choral concerts are coming soon to the Dixie State University Eccles Concert Hall stage, with the Men’s and Women’s Choruses performing Thursday, followed by the Concert and Chamber Singers on Friday.

Roger H. Hale, who will be conducting on both nights, said that during the Thursday concert there will be a surprise number taken from a popular children’s movie, arranged by choir member Jacob Pohlsander.

“It will be ... continue reading

MSSU Choral Society to present annual Christmas concert (Joplin Globe)

The Missouri Southern State University Choral Society will present its annual Christmas concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in the First Baptist Church, Broadway and Roane Streets.

The performance will feature John Leavitt’s Christmas Cantata “The Perfect Rose” with soloists Alexin Maliszewski and Albert Johnson. The group also will ... continue reading

 

Ames Choral Society begins 50th season (Ames Tribune)

The Ames Choral Society opens its 50th season on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. with “Sweet Singing,” a holiday choral concert featuring music of the winter season and the holidays.

Directed by Steve Hoifeldt, with accompaniment by Barb Evenson, the concert will be held at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 209 Colorado Ave., in Ames.

Tickets are $12 for adults and free for children under 12.

They are available at Gallery 319, from Choral Society members and at the door.

The Ames Choral Society began in the fall of 1964 when a ... continue reading

Harmonium Choral Society in concert Dec. 13, 14 (mycentraljersey.com)

MORRISTOWN – Harmonium Choral Society presents "O Mystical Journey," a collage concert, at 8 p.m. Dec. 13 and 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 121 South St. at Miller Road.

Artistic Director Anne Matlack leads the acclaimed, 100-voice choral society in presenting three of the Great O Antiphons of Advent by composers as different as Arvo Pärt, Healey Willan and Bob Chilcott, as well as compositions by Anton Bruckner, Conrad Susa, David Nowakowsky and others, and global music from Chinese and Russian composers to Norwegian selections from the movie "Frozen." Organist Joshua Stafford and flutist Kris Lamb will also be featured. The select Harmonium Chamber Singers will ... continue reading

Community Choir Looks To Expand Girls' Horizons (News Leader)

When eight-year-old Staunton resident Christiana Evans stood up in front of the crowd that had gathered at Tinkling SpringPresbyterian Church on Saturday evening, it was a small, first step in a big dream. For Evans it's the beginning of what she plans will be a lifetime of music. The group that she was about to perform with, the Virginia Girlchoir, would be her stepping stone.

When choir director Julia White discusses the newly formed group the term "possibility" comes up often. White sees the ... continue reading

Harmonium Choral Society in concert Dec. 13, 14 (mycentraljersey.com )

Harmonium Choral Society presents “O Mystical Journey,” a collage concert, at 8 p.m. Dec. 13 and 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 121 South St. at Miller Road.

Artistic Director Anne Matlack leads the acclaimed, 100-voice choral society in presenting three of the Great O Antiphons of Advent by composers as different as Arvo Pärt, Healey Willan and Bob Chilcott, as well as compositions by Anton Bruckner, Conrad Susa, David Nowakowsky and ... continue reading

MBC holds semifinals of National Choral Competition Dec. 11-12 (INQUIRER.net)

The 8^th Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) National Choral Competition will hold its semifinals Dec. 11 to 12 at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City. The shows are free to the public and will start at 1 p.m.

The contest has two categories: the children’s choir competition and the open chorale division.

On Dec. 11, Himig Bulilit of St. Paul Paranaque, Pasig Catholic College, Beati Children Ensemble, Pinyahan Elementary School, St. Scholastica’s Academy, Royal Santo Nino Children’s Choir and Children’s Integrated School of Alta Tierra will compete for the children’s choir category.

For the open division competition on Dec. 11, the contestants are ... continue reading

Huddersfield Choral Society's Dennis Holmes is (probably) the oldest singer in town - aged 90 (Huddersfield Examiner)

He added: “I was surprised when I was told that I was the oldest. I had the impression that another person who I thought had gone past 90, was. But apparently he was only in his late 80s!

“Anyway, I am finishing at the end of this year, I think it’s a good time.”

And he joked: “As the old adage has it: ‘It’s good to get out before they find you out.’

“Huddersfield Choral Society is a wonderful choir and I have found my experience with them extremely rewarding.”

Trustee Stephen Brook said: “Dennis was ... continue reading

New choral director launching a holiday tradition at NVHS (Yakima Herald)

This fall, choral director Cathy Kloster came to her new position at Naches Valley High School determined to continue the program her predecessor, Joan Ullom, led for 30 years.

“As I heard Ullom’s choir, I always thought how wonderful and entertaining it was,” Kloster says. “When I came to ... continue reading

Full House for Northern Choral Christmas Classic (WWNY TV)

It was a full house for both of the seasonal concerts sung by the Northern Choral Society at the Ashbury United Methodist Church on Franklin Street in Watertown.

Sara Gleason is in her fifth year as the group's director.  She is the 17th director in the group's 60 years.

"It's just amazing that for 60 years enough people had valued this group and put their ... continue reading

Enter the Chant Claire Chamber Choir (Leader-Telegram)

When something is missing from your life, sometimes you need to fill the void yourself.

That’s exactly what UW-Eau Claire graduate Benjamin Bedroske did after earning his music education degree in 2011.

Bedroske, a Marshfield native, moved to the Milwaukee area to start his career. He joined local groups, including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Chorus, to fulfill his love of music and singing.

“I had a good time, but I was ... continue reading

Choral society to perform Handel favourite (Messenger Newspapers)

SALE Choral Society presents Handel’s Messiah at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Moss Lane, Sale, with The Sale Sinfonia on December 13 at 7.30 pm.

The choir will be ... continue reading

Yuma Ecumenical Choir’s ‘Messiah’ performance set for Dec. 14 (Yuma Sun)

For many Yumans, their Christmas season is not complete without having attended the Yuma Ecumenical Choir’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah.”

A group of about 115 singers and 40 instrumentalists will be joining to provide the community with a musical experience that organizers say is sure to put them in the holiday spirit.

The fifth anniversary of the concert, choir director Brandon Stroup said that the ... continue reading

Cotter choir concert Dec. 11, featuring several groups (Winona Daily News)

The Cotter High School choirs will present their annual Christmas concert on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, located on the corner of Vila and Wabasha streets on the Cotter campus.

The Cotter Concert Choir and Show Choir will each present a variety of holiday selections.  The Concert Choir will also ... continue reading

Southern Utah Heritage Choir invites all to ‘Night of all Nights’ Christmas Concert (ST. GEORGE News)

The Southern Utah Heritage Choir will present its annual Christmas Concert “Night of All Nights” on three evenings: Dec. 11, 13, and 14. All performances will be held in the St. George Tabernacle at 7 p.m.  Admission is free.

During this wonderful Christmas celebration, the Heritage Choir will feature several guest artists.

Jordan Bluth, celebrated tenor soloist from Arizona, will perform on ... continue reading

Muskingum County Educational Service Center Choir Concert (Whiznews.com)

The Muskingum County Educational Service Center joined in the kicking off of the holiday season.

Secrest Auditorium hosted the 26th annual holiday choir concert Saturday evening. Six area high schools graced the full audience with their holiday music. Emma Stevens, the Director of Choral Music at ZHS feels these events help the community get into the Christmas spirit.

"This is a wonderful event. I participated in this when I was ... continue reading

Orchestra, choir to honor composer Stephen Paulus (Tucson.com)

Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus had pretty deep Tucson ties that went beyond his tenure as the Tucson Symphony Orchestra's composer in residence in the late 1990s.

He composed the moving Concerto in the American Style for the TSO and penned the ... continue reading

Washington All Star Choir to perform with symphony (Post-Gazette)

The stage at Trinity High School will be filled when 65 musicians from the Washington Symphony Orchestra join 60 singers for the orchestra’s 13th annual holiday concert.

Of the 60 singers, 42 will be members of the Washington County All Star Choir, assembled from eight of the county’s 14 school districts. Other singers will be members of the choir at California University of Pennsylvania.

The concert will be ... continue reading

Bach Choir celebrates Mary and her faith (M Call)

Christmas is coming, and even if we might not all be singing carols, we'll at least be hearing them, even if just from gas station loudspeakers. Shepherds, the wise men and angels are the frequent flyers, mentioned multiple times in repeated verses. Surprisingly, Mary is typically mentioned only once, if at all, and sometimes that reference is itself oblique, with a mere allusion to the "virgin," "mother" or "woman."

"I think Mary is an ... continue reading

LOOKING BACK: Morecambe Fishermen’s Choir through the years (The Visitor)

The Morecambe Fishermen’s Choir first began in 1904 with several choristers featured in the 1935 edition of The Visitor.

Founded in 1904 the choir began after the Rev. G. H. Kennedy, who was the minister at Clarence Street in 1904, took inspiration to start a choral team.

In 1935 the choir still retained many of its ... continue reading

Choir to hit festive notes (Nuneaton-News)

CHRISTMAS in Birmingham just wouldn't be the same without the annual performances of Handel's Messiah by the City of Birmingham Choir.

Since its inception in 1921 the City of Birmingham Choir have been giving annual concerts of the enduring choral classic, Handel's Messiah first at the Town Hall and then at Birmingham's world famous Symphony Hall.

The enduring popularity of Handel's Messiah as an essential part of Birmingham's Christmas season continues unabated.

Conducted by Adrian Lucas with the ... continue reading

Jubilate Choir to entertain Warwick shoppers (Warwick Advertiser)

Besides the free horse and wagon rides, shoppers on Saturday, Dec. 20, will be treated to Christmas caroling in the streets performed by Jubilate from 1 to 3 p.m.

Jubilate (yoo-bih-LAH-tey) is a co-ed choir organization of talented, dedicated youth in grades four through twelve.

The stated mission of the organization is to enrich children's lives by providing quality choral instruction, targeted music education and world-class performance opportunities.

Jubilate nurtures personal growth through the ... continue reading

Cantamus Choir performing Overstrand Christmas concert (EDP24)

Cantamus Choir’s Christmas concert on Saturday, December 6, at 7pm in Overstrand Church includes both serious and light-hearted English and French pieces.

There will be music by Baroque French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, famous for the Te Deum used as the theme to Euro events - including the ... continue reading

Jackson Chorale Children's Choir to perform at Gov. Snyder's holiday gala (M live)

JACKSON, MI – A group of Jackson-area children will help provide the entertainment at Gov. Rick Snyder's annual holiday celebration.

The Jackson Chorale Children's Choir is among the selected musical groups to perform at the gala, which is scheduled to take place at the Governor's Mansion in Lansing on Monday, Dec. 8.

The choir features 34 Jackson-area children. It is mostly third- through ... continue reading

Messages of 'Peace': Newburyport Choral Society gets in holiday (Newbury Port News)

A requiem might not be a traditional choice for a holiday concert, but Newburyport Choral Society music director George Case has selected one that “is a bit different from others.”

French composer Maurice Durufle’s “Requiem, Op. 9” will close out next weekend’s annual Winter Concert at the Belleville Congregational Church in Newburyport.

“It’s a requiem of ... continue reading

 

Limerick Choral Union mark 50 years of singing with huge show (Limerick Leader)

LIMERICK Choral Union will celebrate 50 years singing by staging one of the largest national choral performances of the year this weekend.

The 116-strong choir and accompanying symphony orchestra - under the baton of conducter Malcolm Green - will host Galway Choral Association, choirs from Villiers and Scoil Ide and invited soloists for a special concert this Sunday in the UCH.

The choral union, founded in 1964, have marked their 50th year with continue reading

Choral Union welcomes all singers (BDN Connections)

Those in Choral Union have a joyous experience every year they reunite for their holiday performance.

“The first time I sang with Choral Union it brought tears to my eyes,” said soprano Rochell Cheplak.

“The performance is exhilarating,” said soprano Ruth Clark.

Choral Union will celebrate its ... continue reading

Making a Joyful Noise (Palestine Herald Press)

Every week, a chorus of voices rings out from Grace United Church. But it's not a choir of angels, it's a choir of Texans. “We just love to get together and sing!” Rhonda Herrington, director of the Anderson County Community Choir and Orchestra says. “We love that joyful noise.”

The ACCCO began a little over ten years ago, when Herrington joined Grace United Methodist Church. A choir lover, Herrington was dissatisfied when she was ... continue reading

 

African Children's Choir performs at Albany church (Walb News)

The African Children's Choir performed at First United Methodist Church. They performed "Joy to the World" and several other African Christmas Songs. Their tour leader says the choir enjoys traveling around the country spreading the Christmas spirit.

"They have ... continue reading

Long service to choir to be noted at concert (Otago Daily Times)

For a total of 55 years, Ian Bartlett has been a mainstay in the Royal Dunedin Male Choir, and it is clear the 87-year-old is not about to slow down or retire any time soon.

''I'll probably pop my clogs singing a high C on stage,'' he said, chuckling.

''At least I'll go down doing something I love. I hope I've still got a few years left yet.''

At tonight's Royal Dunedin Male Choir concert at the Dunedin Town Hall, Mr Bartlett will ... continue reading

Dave Crookston: Amherst school choir delivers amazing performance (indeonline.com)

“A Home Alone Christmas,” presented Nov. 20 by the Amherst Elementary School Choir in the Jackson Performing Arts Center, was the most entertaining half-hour of the week, if not the entire month.

If you enjoy choral music and the pristine voices of children, the concert was for you.

The 93-voice choir, under the direction of Cynthia L. Grove, provided a demonstration of well-rehearsed choral singing and the rollicking good time of a pajama party, in keeping with the “Home Alone” theme.

The sound achieved by the choir was ... continue reading

Roanoke College Choir celebrates concert's 30th year (The Roanoke Times)

For Jeffrey Sandborg, director of the Roanoke College choir, conducting is a full-body experience.

His lips mouth the words to the Christmas carols as the more than 100 students sing the same words with angel-like voices. His hands make emphatic gestures going up and down and side to side.

As the notes go high, Sandborg is on the tips of his toes in front of the choir. As the notes get lower, he rocks back onto his heels precariously placed at the edge of ... continue reading

Male voice choir gears up for busy December (berwick-advertiser)

Berwick Male Voice Choir are buoyed up by excellent feedback from the seasons concerts so far - compliments based both upon the sound they are producing and musical variety of their programme.

Now they are gearing up for another busy December of carol singing at care homes and hospitals.

The highlight is the annual Christmas concert which will be in ... continue reading

Abington Town Choir to perform Dec. 7 ( Gatehouse Media)

Members of the Abington Town Choir will provide a musical program for the Dec. 7, 2:30 p.m. meeting of the Historical Society of Old Abington at the Dyer Memorial Library, 28 Central St., Abington. The choir was formed in 2012, by HSOA president Doug Ulwick, when he invited Abington singers representing the various town churches and local people who just like to sing to form a community group. The one and only intended performance was for the ... continue reading

Choir to ‘light up’ Walking Tour (Newark Advocate)

With a performance titled “Season of Light, Season of Song,” Vintage Voices of Granville will celebrate the light of Christmas on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary at Centenary United Methodist Church, 102 E. Broadway.

The concert, part of the village’s Candlelight Walking Tour, will mark the 15th season the group has participated in the event.

Songs such as “A Little Light Was Born” and “Go Light Your World” will be included in the program along with seasonal carols and the familiar favorites “Sleigh Ride” and “Silver Bells.”

This Christmas program will be ... continue reading

All-American Boys Chorus (singers.com)

The All-American Boys Chorus . . . happy youngsters from more than thirty cities in Southern California.

Fifty concert tours to Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and throughout the USA make The All-American Boys Chorus one of the most widely traveled boy's choirs in the world.

More than one million people have been included in the boys' live audiences-in addition to the many millions who have seen and heard them on television and radio.

The boys have performed before a Pope and dignitaries of many ranks. They've been made ... continue reading

African choir sings in Spokane (KHQ)

COLBERT, Wash. -

On Sunday, a group of about 10 singers performed at the Covenant United Methodist Church in Colbert, Wash. The group is in town from Kenya. They are staying at a house in Spokane, and will be traveling around the area to perform, and sell their bead work.

Nicholas Sironka is the ... continue reading

Singers aged up to 100 test their vocals in care home choir (Maldon Standard)

Age is no limit when it comes to a good singsong.

 

Prince Edward Duke of Kent Court in Stisted has formed A Choir to Remember, a group of 30 members including residents, staff, volunteers and visitors.

 

The residents are aged 78 to 100.

They meet every ... continue reading