The Dessoff Choirs

Saturday, March 6, 2010 8pm, 7:30 pre-concert talk

2010-02-28T19:35:17Z

GANN • FOSS • FARBERMAN James Bagwell, conductor Megan Taylor, soprano Jeffrey Hill, tenor The Dessoff Choirs Don’t miss James Bagwell’s final trip to the podium as Dessoff’s music director, as we celebrate the new with thrilling works by three contemporary American composers. Both Kyle Gann’s Transcendental Sonnets (New York Premiere) and Lukas Foss’s Psalms call for two pianos and chorus, and Harold Farberman’s Talk (World Premiere) is for piano, chorus, and percussion. 7:30 pre-concert talk with Music Director James Bagwell, and composers Harold Farberman and Kyle Gann, moderated by Miriam Lewin Read the program notes! Merkin Concert Hall 129 West 67th Street Manhattan Tickets: $35 Preferred Seating, $25 General Admission $15 Senior/Student, 12 & Under (Free) Available at the Merkin Hall box office!

Featured on WQXR

2010-02-20T23:03:17Z

Dessoff was featured on the February 21 noon broadcast of "Choral Fixation" on WQXR, 105.9 FM in New York, NY (and streaming on the web at http://www.wqxr.org). Dessoff's 1999 recording of Robert Convery's To The One of Fictive Music, led by Kent Tritle, was played.

Dessoff and Ray Davies on NPR

2009-12-20T20:17:41Z

An insider's look, from our own Jeff Lunden, at the November performances of The Dessoff Chamber Choir with Ray Davies (of The Kinks) was featured on the December 22 edition of "All Things Considered" on NPR. For the full archived story, click here. As part of the multimedia breakout for the story, our full set of 15 songs with Ray is available as streaming audio or podcast at All Songs Considered.

Dessoff's Latest CD, Glories on Glories

2009-12-20T20:01:42Z

Recorded live in performance in March 2009, Dessoff's latest CD Glories on Glories features stirring American choral works by William Billings, Charles Ives, Horatio Parker, and Randall Thompson, featuring shape-note hymns, songs from the battlefield, and more. The recording is available for purchase via cdbaby.com, iTunes, and digstation.com, and will also be available for purchase at Dessoff concerts and events. For the full album notes by music director James Bagwell, please click here.

November 19-20, 2009 - Dessoff Joins Ray Davies

2009-10-21T13:54:05Z

Thursday, November 19 & Friday, November 20, 2009 8:00 pm DAVIES: THE KINKS CHORAL COLLECTION David Temple, conductor Ray Davies and his band The Dessoff Chamber Choir The songwriting prowess of Ray Davies was showcased as he and his band perform choral-backed reworkings of classic Kinks hits. Included were exciting renditions of You Really Got Me, Celluloid Heroes, Waterloo Sunset, All Day and All of the Night, and more. We also joined Ray on The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday, November 18! The Town Hall 123 West 43rd Street Manhattan

2009-2010 Season

2009-09-24T20:02:20Z

…superbly disciplined and highly responsive… - The Baltimore Sun, June 29, 2009 …stunning in their impact… - The New York Observer, July 8, 2009 Welcome to The Dessoff Choirs’ 2009-2010 season, celebrating 85 years of passionate music-making in New York City. Fresh off two thrilling collaborations with the New York Philharmonic this past June, our 85th year marks a few significant milestones. In August, Dessoff welcomed Jessica Silver, a seasoned arts management professional, as our first Executive Director. This fall we look forward to the release of our second CD, Glories on Glories, a live recording of American song ranging from Billings to Ives. And in spring, we are sad to note, James Bagwell will be leaving his post as Music Director to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Robert Shaw as he assumes leadership of Collegiate Chorale. Save the date for our spring benefit – February 9, 2010 – when we will pay tribute to James’s tenure as music director. Our 85th season kicks off in dramatic fashion, as we present Ernest Bloch’s stirring Sacred Service on November 12th in the ideal setting of Congregation Rodeph Sholom. One week later, on November 19th and 20th, The Dessoff Chamber Choir backs Ray Davies and his band in a reprise of classic Kinks hits at The Town Hall. On March 6th, we return to Merkin Concert Hall to premiere exciting new works by Kyle Gann and Harold Farberman, along with Lukas Foss’s tender Psalms. March 28th, we make a Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series appearance with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under the direction of Iván Fischer in Beethoven’s inimitable Symphony No. 9. And the season draws to a close on May 8th, with a fascinating look at Bach’s compositional roots. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a dynamic year! Highlights from last season include acclaimed, sold-out performances of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic in Lorin Maazel’s last appearances as music director. Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, the capstone of the Philharmonic’s live recording of the Complete Mahler Symphonies, features The Dessoff Symphonic Choir and is now available for download on iTunes. Other recent highlights include a performance of Mahler’s Symhony No. 3 at Carnegie Hall benefiting victims of pediatric AIDS, an exploration of the musical legacy of Biblical hero David, and the rich American program recorded in March and captured on our soon-to-be released CD. For more information on individual concerts, and to purchase tickets, click ]]> Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:00 pm BLOCH: SACRED SERVICE James Bagwell, conductor Charles Perry Sprawls, bass-baritone Paolo Bordignon, organ The Dessoff Choirs From Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) comes a dynamic work for chorus, baritone, and organ. Finished in 1933, this movingly spiritual setting of Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service) renders the Saturday morning Sabbath liturgy in dramatic fashion. Bloch himself described the work as a “cosmic poem” with timeless appeal. Congregation Rodeph Sholom 7 West 83rd Street Manhattan Tickets: $35 Preferred Seating, $25 General Admission $15 Senior/Student, 12 & Under (Free) Available at the door! Thursday, November 19 & Friday, November 20, 2009 8:00 pm DAVIES: THE KINKS CHORAL COLLECTION David Temple, conductor Ray Davies and his band The Dessoff Chamber Choir The songwriting prowess of Ray Davies is showcased as he and his band reinvent classic Kinks hits. Come hear exciting renditions of Celluloid Heroes, Waterloo Sunset, All Day and All of the Night, and more. The Town Hall 123 West 43rd Street Manhattan Tickets available via Ticketmaster or at The Town Hall box office. Saturday, March 6, 2010 8:00 pm GANN • FOSS • FARBERMAN James Bagwell, conductor The Dessoff Choirs Don’t miss James Bagwell’s final trip to the podium as Dessoff’s music director, as we celebrate the new with thrilling works by three contemporary American composers. Both Kyle Gann’s Transcendental Sonnets (New York Premiere) and Lukas Foss’s Psalms call for two pianos and chorus, and Harold Farberman’s Talk (World Premiere) is for piano, chorus, and percussion. Merkin Concert Hall 129 West 67th Street Manhattan Tickets: $35 Preferred Seating, $25 General Admission ($20 advance sale) $15 Senior/Student, 12 & Under (Free) Available at the Merkin Hall box office! Sunday, March 28, 2010 3:00 pm BEETHOVEN’S NINTH Iván Fischer, conductor Lisa Milne, soprano Jorma Silvasti, tenor Kristinn Sigmundsson, bass The Dessoff Symphonic Choir Budapest Festival Orchestra Symphony No. 6 in F major (“Pastoral”) Symphony No. 9 in D minor The finale of Lincoln Center’s “Beethoven Then and Now: The Complete Symphonies” series, a five-day Beethoven extravaganza, featuring Iván Fischer leading the Orchestra of Enlightment on period instruments and the masterful Budapest Festival Orchestra translating these works for today. This fascinating project offers never-before-heard side-by-side accounts of how these beloved symphonies may have sounded in the composer’s time as well as presenting them to the contemporary audience. Avery Fisher Hall Lincoln Center Manhattan Sunday, March 28, 2010, 3:00pm Tickets available at Lincoln Center box office. Saturday, May 8, 2010 8:00 pm The ROOTS of BACH & BEYONDSt. George’s Church 209 East 16th Street at Third Avenue Manhattan Tickets: $35 Preferred Seating, $25 General Admission ($20 advance sale) $15 Senior/Student, 12 & Under (Free)

Dessoff (with the NY Phil) hits iTunes!

2009-08-25T19:08:46Z

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 marked the release date for our June 25, 2009 performance of Mahler's 8th Symphony ("Symphony of a Thousand"). The Dessoff Symphonic Choir, along with New York Choral Artists, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and a host of soloists joined the New York Philharmonic for Lorin Maazel's valedictory program as music director of the Phil. A truly memorable performance, now available for all to hear! Click here to preview/purchase directly from iTunes, or here to preview/purchase from the NY Phil website. Also available on eMusic, Rhapsody, and available at audiophile sampling rates (96khz/24bit) via HDTracks.

Sing with Dessoff in our 85th Season

2009-08-12T19:29:03Z

Dessoff typically combines diverse self-produced programs with orchestral collaborations. This season will range from Baroque works of J. S. Bach and his contemporaries to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony to the 20th and 21st centuries, including a world premiere by Harold Farberman. Dessoff’s three self-produced concerts this season will be: • SACRED SERVICE, Thursday, November 12, 2009, Congregation Rodeph Shalom, West 83rd St. • FOSS/GANN/FARBERMAN, Saturday, March 6, 2010, Merkin Hall • THE ROOTS OF BACH AND BEYOND, Saturday, May 8, 2010. St. George's Church, East 16th Street Adding to an already full and exciting season, Dessoff is honored to be invited to return once again to Avery Fisher Hall to sing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. We join the Budapest Festival Orchestra, led by Ivan Fischer, on Sunday, March 28. Dessoff seeks qualified choral singers who read music proficiently, sing with good blend and intonation, will prepare music independently, and commit to the season's rehearsals and concert dates. We rehearse on Mondays on the Upper East Side. We have scheduled one evening, Wednesday, September 9, 2009, for Music Director James Bagwell to hear singers who seek to participate in our full 2009-2010 season. Interested choral singers should send an e-mail with name, address, phone(s), voice part, and preferred date to auditions@dessoff.org. Our Membership Chair will respond to schedule a private 10-minute audition that consists of vocalizing to demonstrate range and vocal production, and sight-singing. NO prepared piece is required.

2009

2009-03-15T21:44:21Z

Thursday, November 19, 2009 8:00 pm Friday, November 20, 2009 8:00 pm The Town Hall Ray Davies: Shangri-La Ray Davies: Victoria Ray Davies: Working Man's Cafe Ray Davies: See My Friends Ray Davies: You Really Got Me Ray Davies: Village Green Ray Davies: Picture Book Ray Davies: Big Sky Ray Davies: Do You Remember Walter? Ray Davies: Johnny Thunder Ray Davies: The Village Green Preservation Society Ray Davies: Celluloid Heroes Ray Davies: Waterloo Sunset Ray Davies: Days Ray Davies: All Day and All of the Night David Temple, conductor Ray Davies and band The Dessoff Chamber Choir Wednesday, November 18, 2009 11:35 pm Ed Sullivan Theater Ray Davies: You Really Got Me David Temple, conductor Ray Davies and band The Dessoff Chamber Choir Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:00 pm Congregation Rodeph Sholom Ernest Bloch: Sacred Service James Bagwell, conductor Charles Perry Sprawls, baritone Paolo Bordignon, organ The Dessoff Choirs Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:30 pm Thursday, June 25, 2009 7:30 pm Friday, June 26, 2009 8:00 pm Saturday, June 27, 2009 8:00 pm Avery Fisher Hall Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (1906-07) Lorin Maazel, conductor Christine Brewer, soprano Nancy Gustafson, soprano Jeanine De Bique, soprano Mary Phillips, mezzo-soprano Wolfgang Schöne, bass Jason Grant, bass-baritone Brooklyn Youth Chorus The Dessoff Symphonic Choir New York Choral Artists New York Philharmonic Thursday, June 11, 2009 7:30 pm Friday, June 12, 2009 8:00 pm Saturday, June 13, 2009 8:00 pm Avery Fisher Hall Benjamin Britten: War Requiem, Op.66 (1962) Lorin Maazel, conductor Lionel Bringuier, conductor Nancy Gustafson, soprano Vale Rideout, tenor Ian Greenlaw, baritone Brooklyn Youth Chorus The Dessoff Symphonic Choir New York Philharmonic Saturday, March 7, 2009 8:00 pm; St. George’s Church William Billings: Modern Music (The Psalm Singer’s Amusement, 1781) William Billings: Chester (The Suffolk Harmony, 1756) William Billings: Jordan (The Suffolk Harmony, 1786) Oliver Holden: Ode on Music (American Harmony, 1792) Samuel Holyoke: Sandusky (The Massachusetts Compiler, 1795) Andrew Law: Bunker Hill (Worcester Collection, 1786) Anon.: Washington (Repository of Sacred Music, 1813) Horatio Parker: Urbs Syon unica from Hora Novissima (1893) Charles Ives: Glories on Glories from The Celestial Country (1902) Charles Ives: Psalm 67 (1897) Charles Ives: Psalm 90 (1923-24) Randall Thompson: The Last Words of David (1949) Norman Dinerstein: When David Heard (1975) Miss M. Durham: Promised Land (Southern Harmony, 1854) J. H. Moss: Singing School (The Social Harp, 1855) Anne Steele: Distress (1760) William Walker: Saints Bound for Heaven (Original Sacred Harp, 1884) Henry Clay Work: Marching Through Georgia (1865) George Fredrick Root: The Battle Cry of Freedom (1862) Walter Kittredge: Tenting on the Old Camp Ground (1864) Robert Lowry: Beautiful River (1864) Anon.: Jerusalem (Social Harp, 1855) John McCurry: Weeping Mary (Social Harp, 1855) A. Marcus Cagle: Soar Away (Original Sacred Harp, 1971) Anon.: Hallelujah (Original Sacred Harp, 1844) James Bagwell, conductor The Dessoff Choirs

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2009-01-28T03:00:35Z

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Description	For more info…	Est. Value
2 hr personalized walking tour of anywhere in NYC, for up to 4 people, by a licensed NYC guide		$80
Two framed photographs (12"x16") by Sophie Lair-Berreby	http://web.me.com/slbphotography/slbphotography.com/Welcome.html
In home 90 minute Thai Yoga massage	http://www.wolftouch.com/	$125
Master knitter willing to teach beginner or novice. Three 1 to 1.5 hour lessons either in my office, (near Times Square) or at home, in Brooklyn (near BAM). Must be redeemed by May 31, 2010.
2 hour violin lesson/coaching session with Aaron Van Heyningen		$200
Manicure & pedicure at Rescue Beauty Lounge on Gansevoort St	http://www.rescuebeauty.com/
Basket full of King of Shaves British shave products for men and women, featuring the new Azor razor, plus a fabulous old-fashioned deluxe open razor shave with hot towel and face massage, and a haircut at the legendary Paul Molé barber shop on Lexington Ave.	http://www.shave.com/home/
Jewelry by Carnelion Knoll	http://www.carnelianknoll.com
Two Tickets to The Late Show with David Letterman	http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/
Home Made English Toffee		$30
Gift certificate for one dozen award-winning Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery cupcakes	http://www.sugarsweetsunshine.com/	$18
Polish Your Prose Do you have an article to submit? A report to write? A resume to refine? Dessoff’s resident editor will steamline your style, perfect your punctuation, and gussy up your grammar		$150
Custom Pen & Ink Drawing of winner's house or apt building, suitable for holiday cards, stationary or hanging		$200
Jewelry	http://www.exquisiteearth.com/
Dinner for up to 6 people prepared by James Bagwell (donor buys groceries)		priceless
3 hours of PC Computer services (repair, training, new PC selection, etc.)		$150
4 Tickets to NBC Studio Tour	http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/?v=nbc_tours_nbc-studio-tour	$82
1 Pilates Session
1 Private Yoga lesson in studio in Union Square		$120
1 Private Feldenkreis session in studio in Union Square		$85
Autographed copy of "South Street" by acclaimed photographer Barbara Mensch, which documents the Fulton Fish Market.	http://cup.columbia.edu/static/Interview-mensch-barbara
Autographed copy of "Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family" by Miep Geis	http://www.annefrank.com/
Rare bottle of wine (details to come)
Voice lesson with Marni Nixon, singing legend and "Voice of Hollywood", and autographed copy of her autobiography, "I Could Have Sung All Night"	http://www.marninixon.com/book.htm	$100
a 3-vol hardcover Cookbook set: • RUM DRUNKS 50 Caribbean Cocktails, from the Cuba Libre to Rum Daisy (Chronicle Books; $19.95) • STONEWALL KITCHEN GRILLING (Chronicle Books; $19.95) • STONEWALL KITCHEN APPETIZERS (Chronicle Books; $19.95)		$60
A big, beautiful book on the late, lamented four-star restaurant CHANTERELLE (Taunton Press; $50), written by the chef/owner, David Waltuck.		$50
Decorating book DECORATING MASTER CLASS by Elissa Cullman and Tracey Prizan Abrams $45)		$45
pair of Knicks tickets		$160
One voice lesson with Kirsten Ott, classically-trained singer, coach, and teacher on UWS		$65
3 hour headshot session with Sophie Lair-Berreby, best shots edited and on CD	http://web.me.com/slbphotography/slbphotography.com/Welcome.html	$600
One voice lesson with Sally Morgan	http://www.vocalpowertools.com/	$100
$25 giftcard to Ladybird Bakery	http://www.ladybirdbakery.com	$25
$100 Gift Certificate from the "Frank Music Store", the last independent classical music store in NYC	http://www.frankmusiccompany.com/	$100
Original artwork by Elaine Norman TBD
5 limited edition posters from 1981, done for the Brooklyn Academy of Music by King Features; each is 2' X 3'		$100 (ea)
Pair of Baccarat champagne flutes		$150

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Symphonic Women Help Raise Funds & Awareness for Pediatric AIDS

2009-01-12T13:46:35Z

On January 12, 2009, women of The Dessoff Symphonic Choir appeared in mahler for the children of AIDS at Carnegie Hall, a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 benefiting the victims of pediatric AIDS, starring Susanne Mentzer and Glenn Dicterow, and conducted by George Mathew. The concert raised over $177,000, which netted about $30,000 going to the women and children affected by the disease. Watch the clip of the performance, which was broadcast throughout South Asia on Voice of America World TV’s Urdu News Service.
MAHLER FOR THE CHILDREN OF AIDS on VOICE OF AMERICA URDU Television from George Mathew on Vimeo.

Appearance on Performance Today - 12/11/2008

2008-12-09T18:39:36Z

On Thursday, December 11th, Performance Today will broadcast The Dessoff Choirs' performance of Elliott Carter's Musicians Wrestle Everywhere on the occasion of his 100th birthday. The concert took place at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City on March 10, 2007. American Public Media's Performance Today is broadcast on 245 public radio stations across the country and is heard by about 1.1 million people each week. Each station individually decides what time to air the program. To find out where and when Performance Today is broadcast in your area, please visit performancetoday.org. You may also visit publicradiofan.com, an independent website that can point the way to on-line listening. Many radio stations stream their signal on the internet, so it may be possible for you to tune in to a radio station across the country and hear Performance Today by visiting that station's website at the time they air it. This Thursday's show will be available on our website for seven days. We also archive many interviews, Studio MMW performances, Piano Puzzlers, and other features on our website.

2008

2008-12-01T18:54:02Z

Thursday, November 20, 2008; St. James' Church Thomas Weelkes: Hosanna to the Son of David (c. 1610) Norman Dinerstein: When David Heard (1975) Randall Thompson: The Last Words of David (1949) Arthur Honegger: King David (1923) James Bagwell, conductor Rachel Shutz, soprano Katie Geissinger, mezzo-soprano Brian Cheney, tenor Stephen de Francesco, narrator Steven Ryan, piano Sunday, June 1, 2008; Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center Rued Laangaard: Music of the Spheres (1918) American Symphony Orchestra Leon Botstein, conductor Thursday, May 1, 2008; Merkin Hall Leonard Bernstein: Missa Brevis (1955) Dominick Argento: I Hate and I Love (1982) Luigi Dallapiccola: Canti di Prigionia (1941) James Bagwell, conductor Liz Przbylski, mezzo-soprano Steven W. Ryan, piano K. Scott Warren, piano Saturday, March 1, 2008; Society for Ethical Culture Sunday, March 2, 2008; Old First Reformed (Brooklyn) William Billings: Modern Music (1781) J. H. Moss: Singing School (1855) Oliver Holden: Ode On Music (1792) William Billings: Chester (1756) Andrew Law: Bunker Hill (1786) Henry Clay Work: Marching Through Georgia (1865) George Fredrick Root: The Battle Cry of Freedom (1862) Anonymous: Washington (Repository of Sacred Music, 1813) Walter Kittredge: Tenting on the Old Camp Ground (1864) George R. Poulton: Aura Lea (1861) Samuel Holyoke: Sandusky (The Massacusetts Compiler, 1795) Benjamin Hanby: Darling Nelly Gray (1856) William Walker: Saints Bound for Heaven (Original Sacred Harp, 1884) William Billings: Jordan (The Suffolk Harmony, 1786) Robert Lowry: Beautiful River (1864) Miss M. Durham: The Promised Land (Southern Harmony, 1854) Anonymous: Jerusalem (Social Harp, 1855) Anonymous: New Britain (Social Harp, 1855) Anonymous: Weeping Mary (Social Harp, 1855) A. Marcus Cagle: Soar Away (Original Sacred Harp, 1971) Charles Ives: Psalm 67 (1897) Aaron Copland: Lark (1941) Anonymous: Vive la Compagnie (1844) Anonymous: Murillo's Lesson (Social Harp, 1855) Anonymous: Hallelujah (Original Sacred Harp, 1844) James Bagwell, conductor Christina H. Fairweather, soprano Ron Loyd, baritone Brian Dougherty, tenor Steven W. Ryan, piano

2009-2010

2008-09-08T21:06:27Z

SOPRANOS Laura Breznik Jen Crawford Susan Eddy Tina Fairweather Amy Foster Rebecca Grady Kristen Gygi Christine Hoffman Yoonju Hong Jackie Jones Joan Jorrin Sarah Kaplan Miriam Lewin Luana Lewis Jenn Mancini Kathryn Partan Suzanne Perreault Dana Pogorolec Erika Rorhbach Julie Siegmund Jocelyn Soffer Kathy Wolf Diana Young Margaret Young Melanie Zachariades ALTOS Sophie Berreby Clare Detko Lisa Donnelly Cathy Douglass Lauren Faria Veronica Forman Sheila Gaffney Amanda Hembree Martha Hollander Amanda Jones Deborah Lanser Stephanie Leveene Lisa Madsen Liege Motta Janene Otten Nicole Pascavis Christina Peter Madeline Rogers Polly Runyon Barbara Scharf Schamest Nancy Schnell Darcy Smith Cyndee Socci TENORS Tansal Arnas Steve Brautigam Scott Clugstone Steve Kass Steve Lanser Dave Lebson Jeff Lunden Alan Marsh Christopher Miller Dan O’Brien Steve Ostrow Paul Promadhat Douglas Riccardi Mikey Steiger Steve Stellman Confidence Stimpson Erol Tamerman Andrew Willett Jonathan Wind BASSES Jonathan Bautista Chris DeStasio David Ezer Luis Ferran Eric Hansen Wylie Hembree Noah Henyon Jay-Vincent Jones Michael Jorrin Ryan Mesina Christopher Platt Bob Rainier Dan Schwartz John Stolen Michael Thaddeus William Wright

Sing with Dessoff in our 84th Season

2008-06-01T21:00:16Z

Dessoff customarily combines diverse self-produced programs with orchestral collaborations. This season promises to be one of our most exciting ones. It will begin and end with two dramatic works: Honegger’s King David and Mahler’s Symphony No. 8: Symphony of a Thousand. Dessoff’s two self-produced concerts this season will be: • THE LEGACY OF DAVID Thursday, November 20, 2008 St. James Church, Madison Avenue • BILLINGS TO IVES: The Shape of American Choral Music Saturday, March 7, 2009 St. George’s Church, E. 16th St. This program will be recorded for commercial release. June, 2009, will bring our season to a thrilling close. Dessoff is honored to join forces with the New York Philharmonic, under the baton of Lorin Maazel as he leads his final programs as its Music Director. We will sing 3 performances of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem on June 11-13. On June 24-27, we will sing 4 performances of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. Dessoff seeks qualified choral singers who read music proficiently, sing with good blend and intonation, will prepare music independently, and commit to the season’s rehearsals and concert dates. We rehearse on Mondays on the Upper East Side. We have scheduled 2 evenings for Music Director James Bagwell to hear singers who seek to participate in our full 2008-2009 season: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Thursday, September 4, 2008 Interested choral singers should send an e-mail with name, address, phone(s), voice part, and preferred date to auditions@dessoff.org. Our Membership Chair will respond to schedule a private 10-minute audition that consists of vocalizing to demonstrate range and vocal production, and sight-singing. NO prepared piece is required. Dessoff will hold SEPARATE auditions for members of the Dessoff Symphonic Choir who hope to sing in the NY Philharmonic collaborations. Those auditions will he held on Monday evenings, November 24, 2008 and December 1, 2008. You may state your interest now by responding to auditions@dessoff.org. Please include in the subject line of your e-mail that you seek membership in SYMPHONIC CHOIR ONLY. You will be contacted in early November, when we know how many additional voices we will need. Professional singers who wish to be considered for solo opportunities with The Dessoff Choirs should send a resume and a representative recording to The Dessoff Choirs, P.O. Box 1337, New York, NY 10028.