the CHORUS
of WESTERLY

119 High Street, Westerly, RI 02891 U.S.A.

Telephone 401-596-8663
Fax 401-596-1370

A brief background on the Chorus of Westerly:

The Chorus, with a membership of two hundred singers from thirty communities in Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut and Massachusetts, has always included children, aged eight and over. Their early experience in music includes the performance of a challenging array of the greatest works in the choral repertoire and teaches them discipline, responsibility and teamwork as well. Presently, children and teenagers account for roughly thirty five percent of the Chorus membership, and approximately eight hundred children have participated in the Chorus since its inception. The Chorus's reputation is partly based on its unusual mix of singers: children and adults, singers with developing promise and singers professionally trained, all working together as a disciplined artistic unit.

The Chorus offers a diverse set of programs each year: a classical concert series, Christmas Pops concerts, the Chorus-written and -produced A Celebration of Twelfth Night, its free outdoor Summer Pops concert in Westerly's Wilcox Park, the Soloists in the Schools program and the summer Choral Symposia in New Hampshire with world-renowned choral conductors. All concerts are performed in collaboration with the Boston Festival Orchestra and professional soloists.

The Chorus toured Great Britain in 1981 and 1995, and Italy in 1987. Concert locations included, among other great European cathedrals, such prestigious venues as Westminster Abbey in London, King's College Chapel in Cambridge, the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds, Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice, and Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. These three major tours illustrate the quality and distinctiveness of the Chorus of Westerly, and represent special opportunities for Chorus children, adults and their families.

Although the Chorus has performed in Providence, Rhode Island and has toured internationally, its home is in Westerly. During its first decade the Chorus rehearsed and performed in Christ Church, Westerly. Since 1969, it has rehearsed and performed in the former Immaculate Conception Church building, which it purchased in 1991. The building, renowned for its outstanding acoustics, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Chorus of Westerly recently had the building restored, enlarged and endowed by means of a major Capital Campaign. The Chorus is one of the few choruses in the country, if not the only one, to own its own facility. The Performance Hall is increasingly becoming a vital community center, often used by local organizations for other musical performances and for community group meetings.