Enriching Westchester’s Cultural Life for 75 Years

What does a group of lawyers, librarians, doctors, artists, scientists, writers, tennis players, teachers and bird watchers have in common? They are all members of Westchester Choral Society – one of Westchester’s primary arts organizations. This year, the chorus is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is the longest-running continuous chorus in the county and a key contributor to its vibrant cultural life.

The anniversary will be marked with a Spring Gala Concert on May 13 at White Plains Presbyterian Church. The concert features Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a scenic cantata composed in 1935 and 1936, based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana. Carmina Burana is part of Trionfi, a musical triptych that also includes Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The first and last movements of the piece are called Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi ("Fortune, Empress of the World") and start with the very well known "O Fortuna.”

The chorus, which has a current roster of more than 60 singers, is known for its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and rich tradition of presenting two concerts each season to audiences in Westchester and nearby communities. It supports the Westchester community with a yearly program of holiday music for patients at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital. It also sponsors annual Summer Sings that are open to all at the Music Conservatory. In addition, members have shared their musical talent at nursing homes and other venues.

The chorus’ repertoire includes works from Baroque to contemporary, such as Bach’s Cantatas, Beethoven’s Symphony #9 in D minor, Handel’s Messiah, Bartok’s Hungarian and Slovak folk songs, Irving Berlin’s Unforgettable Broadway and Alice Parker’s American Hymns and Songs.

Among its highlights:

· Sang Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in Carnegie Hall

· Performed in a concert honoring Aaron Copland’s 85th birthday, with Copland in attendance

· Sang at swearing-in of Congresswoman Nita Lowey

· Won a $10,000 cash prize from Pepsi for a video submitted for a jingle contest

· Performed Off Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop in The Events, a play based on the Anders Breivik massacre of youth in Norway that was a prize-winning entry at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

· Sung with Greenwich Choral Society and the Fairfield County Chorale to present larger works with full orchestra

For the past 11 years, the chorus has been led by Music Conductor Frank Nemhauser. Nemhauser also is music director of the Berkshire Choral International (BCI, formerly Berkshire Choral Festival), and both director of vocal studies and associate professor at Mannes College of Music in New York.

His impressive background also includes: music director of the Hartford Chorale, chorus director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and associate director of the Collegiate Chorale. He has been a guest conductor with the Houston Masterworks Chorus, the Dessoff Choirs, the Greenwich Choral Society and the Handel Choir of Baltimore. He has led workshops and clinics for the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, the New Amsterdam Singers, the Augusta Choral Society, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and the Southwestern Virginia Spotlight on the Arts Festival.

The award-winning Westchester Choral Society was founded by Sarah Stewart Bowne in 1942 to perform Bach’s B-minor Mass with 15 singers. It was recognized with the Westchester Arts Council’s prestigious Year 2000 Arts Organization Award as the county’s premier choral organization. Visit www.westchesterchoralsociety.o... for more information.