Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus

The Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus is an auditioned volunteer choral ensemble of approximately 75 members whose repertoire covers many of the masterpieces of choral/orchestral music. The music in any given season covers a wide range of styles that are both interesting and challenging. The chorus performs three to four times a year with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in everything from Pops to Classics to Baroque concerts. They have also presented extra concerts independently from the symphony.

History

Prior to the formation of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus the orchestra would perform annually with the Leamington Choral Society (1970’s) and later in collaboration with the Windsor Classic Chorale established in 1977. Finally, in 1988 the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus was formed, bringing together singers from Windsor and Essex counties. The chorus was first directed by Richard Householder, then by Katherine Fitzgibbons, and Ronald Bemrich (2000-2005). Timothy Shantz has served as chorusmaster from 2005 to the present. Many singers drive from as far away as Leamington on a weekly basis to rehearse and perform the great choral/orchestral works of the past and present.

Statistics

More than 75 members each donate over 100 hours annually in rehearsal and performance time to the WSO. Members come from all walks of life from students, teachers, professors, farmers and truck drivers to lawyers, nurses, doctors and business owners. They range in age from 17 to 75, and at least a dozen singers have been members for over 20 years.

Repertoire

Bach – Cantata 140
Bach – Christmas Oratorio
Bach – St. John Passion
Brahms – German Requiem
Handel – Messiah
Mascagni – Cavalleria Rusticana
Mendelssohn – Elijah
Mozart - Requiem
Orff – Carmina Burana
Vivaldi – Gloria
Opera choruses from Carmen, Traviata, Nabucco & Aida
Musical Theatre selections from My Fair Lady, Little Shop of Horrors and The Music Man

Rehearsals

The WSO Chorus rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-9:30pm from September to April. Rehearsals take place at All Saints Church on City Hall Square in downtown Windsor.

How to join

Auditions are scheduled before and after rehearsal throughout the year but mostly in the Spring and Fall. New members are always welcome.
To join the chorus please email the Windsor Symphony Orchestra!

Why Sing in a Symphony Chorus?

Singing in a choir is both good for your spirit and good for your overall health. Choir practices are hard work, but also great fun, because they’re social events as much as music training. You’ll learn to read music and enjoy the power of song! Your voice and technique will develop quickly, with proper instruction, and you may just end up wondering why you didn’t join years ago!

The following is taken from the webpage of Chorus America:

"To sing like this, in the company of other souls, and to make those consonants slip out so easily and in unison, and to make those chords so rich that they bring tears to your eyes. This is transcendence. This is the power that choral singing has that other music can only dream of." --Garrison Keillor

According to a new national study by Chorus America, nearly 28.5 million adults and children regularly perform in choral groups in the U. S., more than any other art form. One or more adults in 15.6 percent of households in America performed in at least one chorus, and of those, almost 45 percent performed with more than one chorus. The study also estimates the number of choruses in the U.S. to be 250,000. (For details on the study, see the Chorus America website, www.chorusamerica.org).
For most, choral singing begins in a school chorus - almost 70 percent of those who sing in choruses today say they sang in a chorus when they were in elementary or middle school. More than half of choral singers say they grew up in a home where another family member regularly sang in a chorus. These findings have important long-term implications for the role of education and families in early exposure to the arts. The study illustrates that an early introduction to the performing arts is a building block for life-long learning - it helps to build social skills, community involvement, and enhances academic skills in general. Additionally, choral singing provides an extraordinarily accessible entry point for arts exposure, with fewer barriers to participation - economic, cultural, educational - than those posed by other art forms.
The broad appeal of choral singing is based in the unsurpassed opportunity it gives each singer to participate in an activity that involves them artistically, builds community, enhances their skills, and results in a product of great beauty. In working toward a beautiful choral sound, people contribute to an artistic product greater than themselves and forge friendships that change the course of their lives. The synergy of this musical mission infuses choral organizations and their singers with energy and purpose that result in extraordinary contributions to their communities - through stellar performances and recordings of great works, the creation of new repertoire, innovative educational programs, and cooperative partnerships with other community organizations.

Choruses, Civic Engagement, and Bridging Social Gaps
The fact that choral singing is a communal activity is especially significant today when we increasingly rely on Internet-based communications, rather than face-to-face interaction. Several recent studies have shown a significant decline in civic engagement in our communities. Robert Putnam, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government scholar (best known for his book, Bowling Alone) asserts that the significance of choral singing goes beyond music making, and even beyond the arts. He sees group performing as contributing directly to the social trust and reciprocity that is the basis of civic engagement. His work shows that the mere existence of choral groups helps foster North America's democratic culture (see his website, www.BowlingAlone.com).
Chorus America's study found that choral singers are far more likely to be involved in charity work, as volunteers and as donors (76 percent), than the average person (44 percent according to a 2001 report by Independent Sector). Choral singers are also more than twice as likely as non-participants to be aware of current events and involved in the political process. They are also twice as likely as the general public to be major consumers of other arts - and not just music.
The study explored the depth of feeling that participants had about their choral experience, with many reporting that the requirements of choral singing - discipline, attention to detail, teamwork, and the social value of the experience - combine to improve their daily lives, in both their work and in family relationships. Many choristers testified to the degree to which their choral singing made them more aware of other people's life experiences, helping them to bridge social gaps. "That connection with people exposes me to ideas...that aren't otherwise available," one respondent said. Another chorister said of fellow singers, "These people, whom I love dearly, are politically or religiously very different from me." Seventy-four percent said they "agreed strongly" that choral participation had helped them develop new friendships.
Choral groups and choral singers are diverse in the broadest sense: involving people from every region of all ages, in myriad musical styles from classical to gospel. Some choruses employ professional singers with significant music background and training. Professional choruses often set the standard of quality and beautiful choral sound. Some choruses are rooted in volunteerism, and their mission is to involve singers from the community who share the love of singing.
All of these various groups promote cultural excellence, community and national pride. Their performing venues are equally diverse - from community festivals and shopping malls to major concert halls - ensuring that choral music touches all members of a community, regardless of economic status, age, or ethnic origin.