Volume 8, Issue 1 | October 13, 2022 | |
Individual Tickets and Season Subscriptions are now available | |
Cut/paste: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=tccw | |
Check Out Our Complete Season | |
Subscriptions are available! Please click here for the direct link, or here to download a paper order form. | |
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The City Choir of Washington is pleased to announce the 2022-2023 season under the direction of Artistic Director Erin Freeman. Following in its tradition of choral excellence and creative programming, City Choir will present four concerts with themes of joy, peace, and light, featuring over 20 composers in four different venues around the Metropolitan D.C. area. Partnerships with D.C area organizations, composers, and soloists will highlight the City Choir of Washington’s deep connections to the Washington, D.C. artistic scene.
Of her inaugural season, Maestra Freeman says, “I’m excited to explore this music with these singers who are so devoted to the art of choral singing, and to enhancing the Washington, D.C. region with moving and exciting concerts. From Rossini’s epic (and at times irreverent) Petite Messe Solennelle to Bach’s monumental cantata Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis to John Corigliano’s Fern Hill, the music is rich and absolutely a treat to sing. With music by Florence Price, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and living composers Sharon Farber, Gilda Lyons, Ola Gjeilo, Armando Bayolo, Chen Yi, Huang Ruo, Jessica Krash, and our own Bob Shafer, this season will highlight the breadth and depth of musical expression inherent in the American choral tradition.”
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Rossini's "Grand & Glorious Petite Messe Solonnelle"
An Introduction by Maestra Erin Freeman
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Erin Freeman, artistic director of the City Choir of Washington, chose Rossini's Petite Messe Solonnelle in part "as an opportunity to thank the singers and to thank Bob Shafer for all that they put into the founding of City Choir, and for all the dedication they've put into this chorus to create a welcoming, inviting atmosphere." Click on the short video above to hear Erin's take on this "grand and glorious" work, and why she sees it as the perfect piece to mark her debut with City Choir and introduction to the Washington choral community. | |
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Continuing City Choir’s tradition of showcasing talented emerging artists, we are thrilled to welcome a fabulous quartet of talented soloists from Wolf Trap Opera’s 2022 Studio Artist program.
Playing Rossini's original arrangement of the Petite Messe Solonnelle is our all-star lineup of keyboard artists: City Choir's own Peter Uhlir and Dr. Karen Keating on piano, and Todd Fickley on organ.
Please click here to meet the artists!
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Alumni of Wolf Trap Opera’s 2022 Studio Artist program (clockwise from top left): Sophia Hunt, soprano; Winona Martin, mezzo soprano; Tshegofatso Clement Bayoli, bass-baritone; Travon Walker, tenor | |
The City Choir of Washington Chamber Players (clockwise from top left): Peter Uhlir, piano; Karen Keating, piano; Erin Freeman, conductor and artistic director; Todd Fickley, organ | |
The Sins–and Virtues–of Rossini's Youth and Old Age | |
Giaochino Rossini (1792-1868) in 1815 (left) and 1865 (right) | |
Giaochino Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonnelle is part of a collection of late works the composer referred to as the “sins of my old age.” To learn more about the sins–and virtues–of Rossini’s prolific and dramatic life, please click here. | |
Spotlight on Erin Freeman | |
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Did you know that the City Choir of Washington’s new music director Erin Freeman…
- sang with Robert Shaw as a high school student, and became a conductor because she wanted to be him?
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once accidentally conducted Yo-Yo Ma?
- has developed a unique methodology to rehearsals she has dubbed the “additive” approach?
- is the proud owner of two rescue dogs—one of whom is “a 106-pound great dane/pit bull/unicorn/lap dog”?
To learn the stories behind these intriguing facts and much more, Allegro recently interviewed Maestra Freeman on a variety of topics of interest to City Choir’s singers and audiences. Click here to discover what we asked her and what she told us.
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Maestra Freeman's Upcoming Guest Conducting Engagements | |
Erin Freeman is much in demand as a guest conductor; in addition to her inaugural concert with the City Choir of Washington on November 13, you can find her on the following podiums this fall: | |
Are you in the area? Stop by and see Erin in action! | |
Support the 2022/23 Season as a
Season Underwriter!
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Become a Season Underwriter and help support the City Choir of Washington’s transition to an exciting new era under Artistic Director Erin Freeman! We are looking for special individuals willing to underwrite a portion of our 2022-2023 season, artistic director Erin Freeman's first with City Choir. For your tax-deductible pledge of $5,000 or more (or $2,500 to become a half-underwriter) in new money between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, you will be entitled to some terrific perks and have the satisfaction of keeping the City Choir of Washington on a firm financial footing.
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Among the special benefits that Season Underwriters receive are two free subscriptions to City Choir’s four-concert 2022-23 series; invitations to donor events throughout the season, including the fabulous spring Underwriters appreciation event at the Annapolis Yacht Club (pictured at left); and special acknowledgement in our program books and website. Please click here for a complete description of benefits. For additional information about the Season Underwriters, go to the Support page of our website and scroll down to the underwriters section. You can fill out an online Season Underwriter pledge form here. Barbara Greene, Season Underwriter Liaison to the Board, oversees the program and is happy to answer any questions. You can reach her at essexroad@aol.com.
We are grateful for the ongoing generosity of our 2022-2023 Season Underwriters!
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The City Choir of Washington is very grateful for your support at any level. Please click on the button below to donate. | |
Getting off to a Grand Start
Singing with Erin in the 2022/23 Season
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City Choir singers and friends enjoy an afternoon out at Barrel Oak Winery | |
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Please click here to read testimonials from City Choir choristers about singing with new Artistic Director Erin Freeman, and enjoy candid photos from rehearsals and our season kick-off get-together at Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplaine, Virginia.
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March 11, 2023 | The Woman's Club of Chevy Chase (Chevy Chase, MD)
A Celebration of Women in Music
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Save the date for City Choir’s celebration of women in music in March, Women’s History Month. This unique fundraiser for the City Choir of Washington will feature a fireside chat with women arts leaders in D.C., hosted by Artistic Director Erin Freeman; the culmination of our online auction; and some musical entertainment, all in the elegant surrounds of the historic Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase.
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Sing with us! Are you a singer who is dedicated to the art of beautiful choral music? Would you like to sing under the direction of dynamic conductor Erin Freeman? Are you excited to meet new people who are equally as thrilled about music as you? The City Choir of Washington may be the very group for you. We will be holding mid-year auditions in January for our March and June concerts. Please visit our auditions page here for more information and to sign up for an audition.
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Don't Miss our New Year's Concert:
City Choir Tickets are Great Holiday Gifts!
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Allegro: The City Choir Newsletter
Editor in Chief: Emily Hantman Tsai
Contributing Editors: Al Bradford | David Flaxman | Erin Freeman | Barbara Greene
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