The Dessoff Choirs

Make Music New York - Monday June 21, 5:45pm

2010-06-18T18:23:00Z

Thomas Tallis’ tour de force of Renaissance choral polyphony, the amazingly intricate 40-part a cappella motet “Spem in Alium”, will be performed by members of The Dessoff Choirs and friends under the baton of Michel Galante as part of Make Music New York’s free concerts on Monday June 21, 5:45pm at the R.C. Church of St. Andrew in lower Manhattan, 20 Cardinal Hayes Place, and repeated next door at 6:15pm under the arches of the Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street (by Chambers Street). Come hear this rarely performed masterpiece of devotional choral music by one of Britain’s greatest composers, sung here in the varied acoustical settings of church and outdoor colonnade. Each rendition will last approximately 10 minutes. See the listing for MMNY, and a mention of Dessoff, in The New York Times (6/18). For info on all participating musicians, go to Make Music New York's website.

New Music Director - Chris Shepard

2010-05-18T13:32:22Z

The Dessoff Choirs is pleased to announce its new Music Director, Christopher Shepard. Mr. Shepard joins us as we end our 85th season, and he follows an illustrious list of conductors who have led Dessoff in uncovering rare gems of the choral repertoire. Dessoff President Christopher Platt says, "We are thrilled to add a new name to the storied list of music directors of The Dessoff Choirs. Chris Shepard brings us energy and enthusiasm, impeccable musicianship, and an international perspective. Dessoff will continue to grow both musically and organizationally under his leadership and vision." Mr. Shepard says, "It’s an honor to have been chosen to walk in the footsteps of Dessoff's past conductors, all of whom have contributed so much to American musical life. It’s especially exciting to assume the leadership of a choir whose legacy is so long and rich. I look forward to continuing the Dessoff tradition of exploring unusual music, seeking a contemporary meaning for Renaissance and Baroque music, and bringing new works to life with a choir that has long been one of New York's leading proponents of unheard choral works. Also, as an American who lived abroad for many years, I look forward to forging new partnerships with international musicians and organizations." Watch this space for details on our first season together! And read on for more about Mr. Shepard.]]> Christopher Shepard, Conductor In recent years, conductor Chris Shepard has been closely associated with the choral music of Johann Sebastian Bach. He founded the Sydneian Bach Choir and Orchestra in Sydney, Australia, and was the music director of BACH 2010, a project to perform all of Bach’s choral cantatas. Under his direction, the ensemble performed over 75 cantatas, as well as the two Passions, the B Minor Mass, and the Christmas Oratorio. A Sydney reviewer wrote of the cantata series, “These well-attended events, using a fine choir and perceptive soloists, are high points in our musical terrain.” In addition to the music of J.S. Bach, Chris has conducted many staples of the choral-orchestral repertoire, and he has commissioned and premiered a number of new choral works in both Australia and America. In 2009, he took up an appointment as Music Director of the Worcester Chorus in Worcester, Massachusetts, America’s third-oldest community choir. He also serves as Music Director of the First Congregational Church in Watertown, Connecticut. And, since returning to America, Chris has been a guest conductor at Emmanuel Church in Boston, which is renowned for its four-decade Bach cantata project. Chris has been conducting avocational choirs for more than two decades, including the Stamford MasterSingers, the Greater Middletown Chorale, and the Waterbury Chorale, all in Connecticut. Resident in Sydney from 1996 to 2008, Chris served as Director of Music at Sydney Grammar School, one of Australia’s most prominent high schools. Music education has been a major focus of Chris’s career; before moving to Sydney, he led the choral program at the Taft School in Connecticut. The Litchfield County Children’s Choir, which he founded in 1990, continues to thrive after nearly two decades. Since 2004, Chris has been Music Director of the Hotchkiss Summer Portals Chamber Music Program, an intensive chamber music program for advanced young players and singers from around the world. He conducts the chamber orchestra and choir, serving on the faculty alongside such guest ensembles as the Shanghai Quartet, the Brentano String Quartet, and Cantus. With SBS-TV, an Australian national public television network, Chris presented two documentaries: Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and From Mozart to Morrison, with eminent Australian jazz musician James Morrison. The Melbourne Age recommended the Mozart documentary as a “novel, thoughtfully produced hour.” In 2000, Chris was chorus master of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for their performance at the Olympics opening ceremony. Throughout his years in Sydney, Chris worked with a wide range of school and community choirs, as conductor and clinician. Chris holds degrees from the Hartt School and the Yale School of Music, where he studied choral conducting with Marguerite Brooks. He is currently completing his PhD in Musicology at the University of Sydney, researching the performance history of Bach’s B Minor Mass in 20th-century America.

Saturday, May 8, 2010, 7:30pm

2010-03-28T21:08:20Z

The ROOTS of BACH & BEYOND Patrick Dupré Quigley, guest conductor The Dessoff Choirs Led by one of the hottest young conductors on the Miami choral scene, this program looks back to the rich musical tradition from which Johann Sebastian Bach emerged, offering rarely performed works by Mendelssohn, Schütz, Kuhnau, Frescobaldi, and others, as well as famous motets — Singet dem Herrn and Jesu, Meine Freude — by the master himself. St. George’s Church E.16th St.at Rutherford Place, east of Third Ave Manhattan

Featured on WQXR

2010-03-15T13:45:16Z

Dessoff was featured once again on the noon broadcast of "Choral Fixation" on WQXR, 105.9 FM in New York, NY (and streaming on the web at http://www.wqxr.org), on Sunday, March 14. The title track of our latest recording, Glories on Glories, composed by Charles Ives, was featured as the final piece in the program, led by music director James Bagwell.

Sunday, March 28, 2010 3:00 pm

2010-03-12T21:15:05Z

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 Tickets available at Lincoln Center 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.]]> Modern Music - William Billings (The Psalm Singer’s Amusement, 1781) 2. Jordan - William Billings (The Suffolk Harmony, 1786) 3. Chester - William Billings (The Suffolk Harmony, 1756) 4. Urbs Syon unica (from Hora Novissima) - Horatio Parker (1893) 5. Psalm 67 - Charles Ives (1897) 6. Glories on Glories - Charles Ives (1902) 7. Psalm 90 - Charles Ives (Psalm 90) 8. The Last Words of David - Randall Thompson (1949) 9. Marching through Georgia/The Battle Cry of Freedom - Henry Clay Work (1865)/George Frederick Root (1862) 10. Tenting on the Old Camp Ground - Walter Kittredge (1864) 11. Ode on Music - Oliver Holden (American Harmony, 1792) 12. Bunker Hill - Andrew Law (Worcester Collection, 1786) 13. Singing School - J. H. Moss (The Social Harp, 1865) 14. Promised Land - Miss M. Durham (Southern Harmony, 1854) 15. Beautiful River - Robert Lowry (1864) 16. Saints Bound for Heaven - William Walker (Original Sacred Harp, 1884) 17. Weeping Mary - John McCurry (Social Harp, 1855) 18. Hallelujah - anonymous (Original Sacred Harp, 1844) 19. Soar Away - A. Marcus Cagle (Original Sacred Harp, 1971)

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 E.16th St.at Rutherford Place, east of Third Ave Manhattan Tickets: $35 Preferred Seating, $25 General Admission ($20 advance sale) $15 Senior/Student, 12 & Under (Free) Available at the door!

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.

Hillis Award Submission

2009-03-30T19:43:29Z

01 Psalm 90 02 Weeping Mary 03 When David Heard 04 Jordan 05 See My Friends 06 Symphony No. 8: Part I section VI. Gloria Patri

2010

2009-03-29T16:09:01Z

Sunday, March 28, 2010 3:00 pm Avery Fisher Hall Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor Iván Fischer, conductor Lisa Milne, soprano Jorma Silvasti, tenor Kristinn Sigmundsson, bass The Dessoff Symphonic Choir Budapest Festival Orchestra Saturday, March 6, 2010 8:00 pm Merkin Concert Hall Lukas Foss: Psalms Harold Farberman: Talk (World Premiere) Kyle Gann: Transcendental Sonnets (NY Premiere) James Bagwell, conductor Megan Taylor, soprano Jeffrey Hill, tenor Steven Ryan, piano Renee Anne Louprette, piano The Dessoff Choirs

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