The Wells College Concert Choir:

• is an auditioned ensemble representing over 10% of the resident student body.
• sings a wide variety of choral literature.
• learns to perform polished a cappella harmony.
• works with professional orchestras and choral groups from other schools.
• earns academic credit for making music.
• enriches the cultural life of the community.
• offers opportunities for developing leadership and management skills.
• shares the pleasure of performing fine music while having fun and growing together as a choral ensemble.

Major compositions performed recently by the Concert Choir:

Gloria by Francis Poulenc
Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
Magnificat in D by J. S. Bach
Mass in G by Vaughan Williams
Missa Brevis by Benjamin Britten
Coronation Anthems by G. F. Handel
Jubelmesse by Carl Maria von Weber
Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinski
Te Deum and Magnificatby Flor Peeters
Funeral Ikos and Song for Atheneby John Taverner
Solemn Vespers, Requiem, and Coronation Mass by W. A. Mozart

Other works include: contemporary compositions, American spirituals, multicultural folk-music, 19th-century part songs, Baroque works, Renaissance motets, Elizabethan madrigals, and much more.
 

Fall 2002 Concerts:

Sunday, October 27 at 3:00 PM - Experience the incomparable creative genius of Ludwig van Beethoven! Join us as the Wells College Concert Choir performs his Mass in C, Opus 86, with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Glee Club and full symphony orchestra, in the Sommer Center on the Wells campus in Aurora. Admission is free, the public is invited.

Monday, November 4 at 4:40 PM - The Wells College Chamber Singers perform in Music and Coffee, an informal student recital in Barler Hall on the Wells campus. Admission is free, and refreshments are served!

Saturday, November 9 at a time to be announced - For Parents’ Weekend, the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers give a special mini-concert for visiting parents, prospective students, and the entire community. Join us for a refreshing music break in Barler Recital Hall. Free admission, everyone is welcome.

Monday, November 25 at 4:40 - The Chamber Singers perform in Music and Coffee, an informal student recital in Barler Hall on campus. Once again, free music and free food.

Saturday, December 7 at 4:30 PM - Join us for some community cheer when the Concert Choir sings for the annual Christmas in Aurora celebration. Performance in the (now heated!) Morgan Opera House on Main Street in downtown Aurora. Admission is free, of course.

Sunday, December 8 at 7:30 PM - The Chamber Singers perform in Music and Coffee, an informal student recital in Barler Hall on campus. Free admission, and dessert is included in the price!
 

Wednesday, December 11 at 7:30 PM - Enter the spirit of the season with our annual Holiday Concert. A wonderful Wells tradition: candlelight, evergreens, old favorites, new offerings, beautiful singing. Admission by donation of a non-perishable item for a local emergency food pantry. Barler Recital Hall.
 
 

Recent Activities of Note:

Performances Abroad - The Wells College Chamber Singers gave seven concerts in six days as part of the International Youth Music Festival of August 2000 in Bad Arolsen, Germany. While at the festival, the Wells students stayed with host families, met Eurpean choirs, and toured area cultural sites. In performance, the Wells group earned enthusiastic ovations, floral tributes, and glowing newspaper reviews. See the story in the What's New section of the Wells Web site.

Performances in NYC - The Advent Concert Series of St. Patrick's Cathedral, on Fifth Avenue in New York City, often includes the Wells College Concert Choir. In December 2000 the ensemble performed Weber's Jubelmesse in the Cathedral, and presented portions of the work at the Church of the Good Shepherd, at 240 East 31st Street.

Televised Performances - The Syracuse PBS television station (WCNY) annually re- broadcasts a special program from 1999Holiday Harmonies, featuring the Wells Concert Choir. Click here for photos of the Concert Choir in Holiday Harmonies.
 

Other academic opportunities for singers:

• The Wells College Chamber Singers: a select smaller ensemble, a subgroup of the Choir.
• Private Instruction in Voice: credit-bearing individual instruction for personal enrichment or preparation for various careers in music education or professional performance.
• Tutorial Courses in Conducting: practical "hands-on" instruction in choral techniques.

For more information:

please contact cthoburn@wells.edu or call Professor Crawford R. Thoburn, Director of Choral Activities, at 315.364.3347 for details about the choral ensembles and their performances, or opportunities to host concerts by the Wells College Concert Choir and Chamber Singers