The New York Choral Society Presents 54th Annual SUMMER SINGS on Wednesdays, Beg. Today

The New York Choral Society produces six Summer Sings that feature the most popular masterworks of the choral literature. The 54th annual Summer Sings takes place on consecutive Wednesdays at 7:30pm from tonight, July 23rd through August 27th at Symphony Space in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York.

For these Summer Sings, six prominent choral conductors from the New York area will lead audience members to sing through these popular works. The New York Choral Society will provide scores. The 2014 series features monumental works including four of the most recognized pieces in the classical repertoire including Handel's Messiah tonight, July 23; Verdi's Requiem on July 30; Mozart's Requiem on August 20 and Orff's Carmina Burana on August 27.

For Tickets: Individual Sings: $20, For ticket information, call (212) 864-5400 or visit the box office or visit www.symphonyspace.org or www.nychoral.org

Box Office: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th Street, New York

SUMMER SINGS Schedule:

Wednesday, July 23 : Handel: Messiah, Phillip Cheah, Conductor

Central City Chorus / Guildsingers

Messiah needs no introduction to choral aficionados. Its choruses range from the sublime to the mighty, capped off by everyone's favorite, Hallelujah. It is Handel's most famous creation and is among the most popular works in western choral literature.

Phillip Cheah is music director of the Central City Chorus and of Guildsingers, a medieval music consort of voices. Mr. Cheach cofounded C4 Choral / Composer / Conductor Collective, an ensemble dedicated to the performance and promotion of music written in the last quarter century championing contemporary music,

Wednesday, July 30: Verdi: Requiem, Judith Clurman, Conductor

Essential Voices USA
Omaha Symphony Sacred Voices Concerts

Frequently called "Verdi's greatest opera," the Requiem surges with emotion and passion. From the vision of wrath in the "Dies Irae" to the beatific closing lines, the work is not to be missed. The premiere in 1874 was a triumph.

Judith Clurman, music director of Essential Voices USA (EVUSA), one of New York's preeminent choral ensembles, is an Emmy and Grammy-nominated conductor, vocal educator, and choral specialist. She also conducted The New York Concert Singers for fifteen years and was founding conductor of Prism Concerts, and the 92nd Street Y's Music of the Spirit.

Wednesday, August 6: Vivaldi: Gloria, Fauré: Requiem, John Daly Goodwin, Conductor

Music Director Emeritus, New York Choral Society Coro Filarmónico Universitario

Vivaldi's Gloria is deservedly one of the most popular pieces in the choral literature. Never was the "Red Priest" (as Vivaldi was known) more exuberant than in this exciting work. The Fauré Requiem is far more demure and understated, its beauty coming through its luscious sounds in this classic Mass for the Dead.

John Daly Goodwin served as music director of the New York Choral Society for twenty-five years and has been appointed music director emeritus of the chorus. He was named music director of Coro Filarmónico Universitario in Mexico City in 2011 and also teaches master classes at the Escuela Nacionál de Música.

Wednesday, August 13: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mark Shapiro, Conductor

Cantori New York
The Cecilia Chorus of New York

Brahms's Requiem is, by turns, passionate and dramatic, angst-ridden and sweet, powerful and intimate. In a letter to Brahms, Clara Schumann wrote, "It is a truly tremendous piece of art which moves the entire being in a way little else does."

The versatile conductor Mark Shapiro is at home with choruses, opera companies and orchestras and has won the prestigious ASCAP Programming Award four times. He has been artistic director of the acclaimed Cantori New York for over two decades and has been music director of The Cecilia Chorus of New York since 2011.

Wednesday, August 20: Mozart: Requiem, David Hayes, Conductor

New York Choral Society The Philadelphia Singers

Mozart's Requiem is one of the most popular and beloved works in the choral repertoire. Left unfinished at Mozart's death, the Requiem contains all the power for which the composer is famous in its vision of the finality of death.

David Hayes is music director of the New York Choral Society, the Mannes Orchestra as well as the critically acclaimed professional vocal ensemble The Philadelphia Singers, which was the Resident Chorus of The Philadelphia Orchestra from 2001-2011. He served on the conducting staff of The

Philadelphia Orchestra from 2000-2011. Equally at home both orchestrally and vocally, he is in demand as guest conductor with orchestras and opera companies across North America.

Wednesday, August 27: Orff: Carmina Burana, Julian Wachner, Conductor

The Washington Chorus The Trinity Choir

The Carmina Burana portrays songs of defrocked-and frequently inebriated-monks. The rhythmic music and vocal lines are expressive and dramatic and beg for your attention and will be a favorite of singers and audiences.

Conductor and composer Julian Wachner is music director of the Washington Chorus. Since 2010 he has also been Director of Music and the Arts for Trinity Wall Street where he leads the acclaimed Trinity Choir which received a Grammy nomination for its recent recording of Handel's Israel in Egypt. He is regularly in demand as a guest conductor both in New York and with orchestras and opera companies in the U.S. and Canada.

SINGLE TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets: Individual Sings: $20, For ticket information, call (212) 864-5400 or visit the box office or visit www.symphonyspace.org or www.nychoral.org Box Office: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th Street, New York

The New York Choral Society (NYCS), founded in 1958, has become known by audiences and critics for the quality of its performances and the diversity of its repertoire, which encompasses well- known choral masterworks as well as many compositions rarely heard in concert halls. The NYCS has presented eleven world premieres and has commissioned works by Paul Alan Levi, Morton Gould, Stephen Paulus, and Robert De Cormier.