Music Groups From Madison involves singing. It may require only a chamber choir of a dozen singers or, as in the case of Handel festivals and Berlioz concerts, monstres, a chorus that could number thousands.

The International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) brings together major choral organizations from all corners of the world to strengthen cooperation in all aspects of choral music through concert tours, world and regional symposia, conducting master classes, the chorale website, World Youth Choir, International Choral Day and the official magazine, “International Choral.” IFCM’s mission is carried out by an international committee that meets regularly in Geneva and at other locations around the globe.

The Choral Project is a community chorus dedicated to a commitment to excellence in performance and innovative artistic collaborations. Their 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization engages in community outreach activities, including a choral mentorship program for high school students and joint performances with visiting choirs.

 

Founded by Artistic Director Daniel Hughes in 1996, The Choral Project is recognized for its carefully curated repertoire and deep musicality. The group’s vision is to heal our world through music and words and to connect us, and its mission is to inspire and cultivate a passion for choral art.

 

The Choral Project’s repertoire is diverse and expansive, from Bach and Debussy to modern composers such as Kirke Mechem, Rene Clausen, Michael Ostrzyga, and Stephen Paulus. The ensemble is also passionate about championing new choral works, having premiered and recorded several compositions for which they have received critical acclaim.

 

Their most recent release, Water & Light, received rave reviews and standing ovations from audiences nationwide and internationally. The album features the group’s renowned cappella voices and an eclectic blend of contemporary classical works, including the world premiere of a piece by Helen Banner. ICONS/IDOLS, a tetralogy by composer Grace Oberhofer and playwright Helen Banner, explores the power of women and non-binary performers on stage and questions of imagery, representation, and dissent in the Byzantine Empire.

 

In addition to a busy performance schedule, The Choral Project is active in community outreach efforts, such as their acclaimed choral mentorship program for local high school students and an annual choral composition contest for high school and college students. They can also offer free concerts at Cedarhurst, thanks to the generous support of community members. If you have a car that you no longer use, you can donate it to the choral project through CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services). CARS takes care of everything from the pick-up to the sale of your vehicle and sends The Choral Project a check!

 

Choral Project offers a variety of concerts throughout the year, including its annual spring concert and holiday concert. Each concert features music from Renaissance to present-day works and a selected composer’s world premiere of a new work.

 

The Choral Project is committed to innovative and dramatic presentations of music for the voice that are entertaining and educational. It is also dedicated to promoting choral music through the performance of contemporary composers such as Kirke Mechem, Michael Ostrzyga, and Stephen Jackson.

 

Historically, a polyphonic choral performance involves two or more autonomous voices with a distinct part for each. This type of singing was a natural development in European church music, with the choir taking the place of individual soloists in the performance of plainchant and other monophonic music. Choral performances of different genres requiring multiple soloists (such as the madrigal, ballett, villanella, and part-song) resulted in a neutral sound with only a small degree of personal expression. This type of musical performance is not ideally suited for a chorus. However, it may still be performed successfully, and indeed, many of the genres originally intended for soloists have been transformed into choral music.

 

A choral performance may also take on an entirely different character when performed by capable soloists in addition to the chorus, for instance, in a string quartet concerto grosso where soloists sometimes play with the orchestra. Such a performance is only occasionally a choral performance. Still, it offers an unsuspected advantage: each strand of melody within the texture has a different and more intense expression than is possible when sung by a choir.

 

Since 1996, the Choral Project has performed in concert performances, interfaith services, and choral festivals. They have also toured internationally, performing at the National Cathedral and several other locations. In 2004, the group competed at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales, receiving a second-place finish in the mixed choir division.

 

For over 20 years, MCCS has reached beyond its classrooms to engage students and communities with music. Our curricular ensembles, Chorale and University Singers, and extracurricular groups, Vocal Accord and Prima Voce, offer performance opportunities at Montclair State and numerous off-campus venues.

 

Our choral interns work with high school choirs throughout the area to provide professional experience in music education and outreach. They also present an educational pre-concert presentation to help students learn about the music they will sing. This program has been a huge success in helping promote MCCS concerts and educating high school students in choral music.

 

MCCS is proud to partner with many local and regional organizations, including the Montclair Art Museum, the County Arts Council, the Essex County Cultural Commission, and the American Guild of Organists. These collaborations allow us to reach an even wider audience with our message of the power and beauty of choral music.

 

The MCCS also supports high school voice students in pursuing higher learning through the Carol Dunning and Paul Kumz Scholarship programs, both named in memory of former MCCS members. These scholarships enable high school students to study private voice with a member of the MCCS faculty.

 

In the fall of 2016, a group of MCCS students traveled to Llangollen, Wales, to compete at the International Eisteddfod. The Choral Project earned a second-place finish in the mixed chorus competition, with an international panel of judges praising their outstanding performances and artistry.

 

To celebrate the 150th birthday of poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar, the choral project presented a concert tribute to his poetry and music inspired by it. This event highlighted the power of choral music to unite people across generations and racial lines. A moving pre-concert talk by sophomore Emily Schladebeck, who lost her father to Alzheimer’s, helped inspire the choir in their artistic process and deliver a powerful performance as an important community outreach event.

 

In an ongoing effort to educate and connect with the community, MCCS choirs regularly perform at public schools, retirement homes, hospice facilities, and interfaith services. In addition, the University Singers have joined with other college and community choirs to participate in Sing Out! and the Essex County Choral Festival and have performed at several area libraries.

 

The Choral Project is a professional mixed-voice vocal ensemble founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Daniel Hughes in the San Jose Bay Area. This group of multi-talented singers has earned an outstanding reputation in California and internationally for their dramatic, conceptual performances and recordings of high-level choral music. They have won many prestigious awards and received standing ovations in concert halls worldwide.

 

Their mission is “to heal our world through music and words,” they have used their voices to raise consciousness and awareness on issues such as the plight of homeless people in their city. They have also worked with playwright Helen Banner and composer Grace Oberhofer to create theater that highlights the power of women and non-binary voices.

 

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Choral Project is committed to inspiring, engaging, and educating audiences by sharing innovative and informed choral music performances throughout Northern Minnesota and beyond. They also offer a choral mentorship program for local high school students and a Choral Composition Contest for high school and undergraduate students.

 

In addition to their concert tours and appearances at international choral festivals, The Choral Project has recorded seven albums of classic and contemporary choral works. These include Cycle of Life, Of Christmastide, Americana, Water & Light, Winter, One is the All, Tell the World, and Yuletide. The Choral Project has also recorded several tracks for the upcoming album, Street Requiem.

 

The VOICE project brought together over sixty-five renowned music pedagogues, singing teachers in teacher training institutions, conductors, and choirs from Europe and the rest of the world. The program aimed to create a European “project choir” able to perform demanding pieces and thus improve its quality while allowing it to act as a multiplier for choral activities in each participant’s home country.

 

The result of the project is an excellent collection of songs that will delight all listeners. It is a must-have for any music lover. In particular, it contains the first commercial release of the enchanting Eric Whitacre composition Winter. Other songs on the recording are by composers such as Jester Hairston, Brent Heisinger, and David Maddux.