NOT AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CONSORTIUM.
Worcester Chorus, Christopher Shepard, Artistic Director
(508) 754-3231
www.worcesterchorus.com
From Classic to Contemporary Since 1858
The Worcester Chorus, under the sponsorship of Music Worcester, Inc., has the unique distinction of being one of the most outstanding on-going choral groups in the United States. Founded in 1858 to sing at the first annual Worcester Music Festival in the newly-built Mechanics Hall, the 100-member group includes both amateur and professional singers from Worcester County, northern Connecticut and the Boston area. Its repertoire includes not only the western world’s finest choral masterpieces, but also contemporary literature, arrangements of American folk songs, classics from the musical theater and commissioned works. Each year the Chorus performs with orchestras and soloists in Mechanics Hall as part of The Worcester Music Festival, including an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah and a Spring Choral Concert. The Worcester Chorus has also made guest appearances throughout the Northeast and overseas.
As a major community chorus, it endeavors to foster the choral arts and to enhance the cultural life of Worcester and the surrounding area, through the highest level of musicianship and artistry, resulting in enriching and emotional experiences for audiences and singers alike. For over 100 years, the annual Messiah holiday concert is a local tradition and an integral part of the Worcester Music Festival!
The Worcester Chorus has appeared with the Hartford Symphony, the American Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center, and the Prague Symphony at Carnegie Hall. The Chorus performed at the 1992 American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Convention in Boston, and has appeared at the Worcester Music Festival with the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Rochester Philharmonic, and the symphonies of Boston, Baltimore, and Detroit.
Artistic Director Dr. Christopher Shepard has been with the chorus since 2009.
