Dear Friends:
Thank you for an amazing 2018-2019 season! We began with a glorious performance of the Brahms Requiem, which was well-received by an appreciative audience at the Basilica of St. Peter. Our concert at Main Street United Methodist in the spring generated much excitement, as the Choral Society and Chamber Orchestra presented a stirring performance of Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo. We were able to reprise that performance as part of the Piccolo Spoleto festival in Charleston in June.
As we look to our new season, many exciting events are in store. In addition to our annual performances at the State Fair, as well as the Candlelight Tour for Historic Columbia, we will be singing the National Anthem at a Columbia Fireflies baseball game. We’re putting a new face on the Columbia Choral Society as we look for ways to reach out and provide great music for our community.
In the fall, the theme of our concert will be “Alleluia Variations.” Each piece will present an Alleluia text in a unique way. The program will feature a variety of works by composers such as G.F. Handel, W.A. Mozart, Randall Thompson, and Andre Thomas. The spring will be spent preparing Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, which we will perform in Columbia and in NYC in Carnegie Hall.
Our June performance in Carnegie Hall is the culmination of years of crafting our sound and musicianship. As we strive for musical excellence, we are gaining an audience that has come to expect engaging and quality performances from the Columbia Choral Society. This will be our 89th season, and I’m proud to be part of it.
Dr. Elizabeth Mears,
Columbia Choral Society Music Director