The Northern Berkshire Chorale will perform Handel’s Coronation Anthems on Friday, April 29th, at 7:30 p.m. in Thompson Chapel on the Williams College campus. The performance will feature orchestral accompaniment and will also include works by Mozart and Brahms.

The chorale will be led by new artistic director, Noah Palmer and accompanied by Derek Galvin. Suggested donations are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students and children are admitted for free. The performance is generously sponsored by True North and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For additional information, please visit www.nbchorale.org or like us on Facebook.

The Northern Berkshire Chorale Presents an Evening of American Music

The Northern Berkshire Chorale will present an evening of American music on Friday, January 22nd, at 7:30p.m. in Chapin Hall on the Williams College campus.

The performance will feature two works from local composer Stephen Dankner as well as Randall Thompson’s Frostiana: Seven Country Songs, a series of Robert Frost poems set to music. Other highlights include works by Copland and Lauridsen.

The chorale will be led by interim director John Howland and accompanied by Patricia Ho, with a guest appearance by Jane Jenkins. Suggested donations are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students. Children are admitted for free.

We are excited to announce that we have hired Noah Palmer as our new artistic director. Noah’s diverse background began as a pianist, studying with the renowned Spanish pianist José Ramon Mendez at NYU (BA), and Bulgarian pianist Pavlina Dokovska at Mannes (MM). He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe, and China. More recently has has been coaching singers to prepare for numerous operas. We are very excited to have Noah on board and look forward to singing under him for our spring performance. Rehearsals begin on February 1 and of course, new and former singers are welcome – join us!

The Artistic Director will be responsible for:

• planning and conducting concert programs
• supervising the accompanist
• assisting the librarian in obtaining necessary new music
• holding regularly scheduled rehearsals
• arranging for soloists and instrumentalists, as needed
• consulting with the Steering Committee regarding program, budget, schedule and any problems which may arise

The ideal candidate will be prepared to engage and, at times, challenge the Chorale, supporting and interacting with singers of differing abilities to encourage and teach an increasing level of skills necessary for tackling more complex compositions.

Application: Please provide a c.v. or resume, plus cover letter. Link to video of applicant directing a chorus in rehearsal or performance is also suggested. Reply to search@nbchorale.org.

Calling all singers!

We will begin rehearsals for our winter concert on Monday, September 29th. Rehearsals take place every Monday from 7:15-9:15pm in Presser Hall on the Williams College campus. Please plan to arrive early on the 29th to register and bring $40 to cover your dues.

We’ll be preparing the following pieces for a Friday, January 16th performance in Chapin Hall:

Haydn Creation Choruses in German
Handel When His Loud Voice in Thunder
Thompson Last Words of David
Hanson Psalm 150
Mendelssohn Heilig
Mozart Regina Coeli k276

Additionally, our spring program will be a celebration of Copland & Bernstein! The concert will feature Copland’s rarely heard complete Old American Songs for chorus and full orchestra. Also on the program is the music from Bernstein’s A Wonderful Town and selections from Candide. For this performance, we’ll be joining forces with the Cantilena Chamber Choir on May 2nd at Thompson Memorial Chapel in Williamstown and on May 3rd at Trinity Church in Lenox.

Please mark your calendars for these dates and share with your musically inclined friends! We would love to have some new members this semester.

We are looking for singers to participate in our spring season. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at 7:15PM in Presser Hall on the Williams College campus in Williamstown. The first rehearsal is Monday, February 3rd and new members are encouraged to attend. Please arrive early for registration. Dues are $50.

We will prepare pieces for a April 11th, 2014 concert featuring Requiem by Bob Chilcott, plus works by Morten Lauridsen.

Hope to see you there!