122 South Main St.
Mercersburg,
Pennsylvania 17236
717.328.2324
History of the Chorus
The Chorus was established in the
fall of 1975
with a performance of Handel's Messiah on Sunday, December 7. Since
then the Chorus has become an important part of the regional music
scene and performs a December series of 4 concerts and a spring series
of 2 concerts each year. The Chorus became incorporated as a non-profit
organization in 1980 and is governed by a six-member board of
directors. In 1985 the Chorus established an endowment fund to give
financial stability to the organization and help fund special projects.
The Chorus has commissioned four works: For You, O Democracy
by Lee Hoiby in 1993, Magnificat by Thomas
Beveridge in 1995, O Come Emmanuel by Daniel
Gawthorpe in 2000, and No
Coward Soul Is Mine by Ola Gjeilo in 2011.
Today great music remains the focus of the Chorus and is annually
enjoyed by capacity audiences. Chorus members come from throughout the
tri-state area and the common bond is the simple joy of singing. Many
professions and backgrounds are represented and the Chorus currently
includes teachers, homemakers, farmers, attorneys, nurse and business
people. Rehearsals begin on Tuesday evenings about 10 weeks prior to
each program. Professional soloists and orchestra members perform with
the chorus and the size of the orchestra varies with the requirements
of the music.
