Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus

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The Harvard Radcliffe Chorus (HRC) is the largest mixed choir at Harvard University and has a diverse membership consisting of faculty members, staff, community members, and both undergraduate and graduate students. HRC was founded in 1979 and continues to perform twice a year as of 2005. HRC usually performs its master concerts at Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, one of the many venues in the Boston area with high-quality acoustics. When a large pipe organ is required for a masterwork, such as Berlioz's Te Deum, the chorus performs in a large church in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

[edit] History

The Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus (HRC) was founded in 1979 by Beverly Taylor as the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorale with about forty undergraduates and a few staff members who wanted to sing. It was conceived with Dr. Jameson Marvin, Director of Choral Activities at Harvard University, as a training choir for students who needed more choral experience in order to perform with the other Holden Choirs: the Harvard Glee Club, the Radcliffe Choral Society, and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, and as an organization that reached out to communities in the greater Boston-Cambridge area.

In 1980, the Chorale was renamed the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus. Under the leadership of Beverly Taylor until 1995, HRC membership increased dramatically, and the Chorus continued to prosper under the direction of Jeffrey Bernstein during the 1995–96 season.

From 1996 to 2004, Dr. Constance DeFotis brought even greater artistic achievement to HRC and made it a choral home to a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, and members of the Greater Boston community. Dr. DeFotis also oversaw the founding of the Executive Committee, the self-governing group of student and community officers that addresses the chorus’s non-artistic concerns and administrative matters. While she was on leave during the 2002–2003 academic year, Simon Carrington, who is well known as a founding member of The King's Singers led the Chorus with inimitable skill and charisma. Dr. DeFotis now serves as the resident Director of Choral Activities at DePaul University, and Simon Carrington is Professor of Choral Conducting at Yale University.

The current artistic director, Dr. Kevin Leong, is the new Associate Conductor of the Harvard-Radcliffe Choruses. He holds a Ph.D. in biophysics and is currently completing a doctoral degree in choral conducting.

[edit] Repertoire

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The repertoire of the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus encompasses music from the 16th century to the present and is designed to introduce students to all the major style periods during their undergraduate studies at Harvard. The following table lists all of the works performed by HRC since its founding.

CONCERT
PROGRAM
December 2005
 “Beethoven IX”
   BEETHOVEN: ‘Fidelio’ Overture, Op. 72
   MENDELSSOHN: Verleih’ uns Frieden


   HAYDN: Te Deum in C, Hob. XXIIIc:2
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
April 2005
 “Echoes of Rouen”

BRAHMS: Nänie, Op. 82

DURUFLÉ: Requiem, Op. 9
December 2004
 “Mozart in Salzburg”
 MOZART: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 
 MOZART: Missa brevis in F, K. 192 (186f)
MOZART: Vesperae solennes de Confessore , K. 339
May 2004
 
     SCHOENBERG: Friede auf Erden, Op. 13
BRAHMS: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
December 2003
 
     BRITTEN: Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28


     WALTON: Lento and Alla Cubana from Five Bagatelles for Guitar (1971)

Conrad SUSA: Carols and Lullabies (1992)

Lou HARRISON: Avalokiteshvara (1964), Round (1998), Jahla (1972)
May 2003
 
     MOZART: Kr�nungsmesse (Coronation Mass), K. 317
     BRAHMS: Schicksalslied, Op. 54
Emma Lou DIEMER: Three Madrigals
December 2002
 
     WALTON: Belshazzar’s Feast
     FINZI: In Terra Pax, Op. 39
May 2002
 
     Russell PECK: Lift Off
ORFF: Carmina Burana
December 2001
 BERLIOZ: Te Deum, Op. 22
May 2001
 
     HAYDN: Missa in Angustiis (Lord Nelson Mass), Hob. XXII:11
     MOZART: Venite populi, K. 260 (248a)
 MOZART: Miserere in A minor, K. 85

(73s)
MOZART: Serenata notturna, K. 239
December 2000
 
     BACH: Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110
     BACH: Orchestral Suite No. 4, BWV 1069


     BACH: 'Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147a
May 2000
 
     BRITTEN: Choral Dances from Gloriana, Op. 53


     ELGAR: From the Bavarian Highlands, Op. 27
     HOWELLS: In Youth Is Pleasure (1915)
     PEARSALL: Lay a Garland 
     VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: In Windsor Forest (from Sir John in
Love)
December 1999
 
     FAURÉ: Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11

RAVEL: Introduction and Allegro (1905)

FAURÉ: Requiem, Op. 48 (1893 version)
May 1999
 
     MOZART: Regina coeli, K. 108
HAYDN: Missa in Tempore Belli, Hob. XXII:9
December 1998
 
     MOZART: Misericordias Domini, K. 222


     HAYDN: Salve Regina in G minor, Hob. XXIIIb: 2
     BEETHOVEN: Elegischer Gesang, Op. 118
     MENDELSSOHN: Verleih uns Frieden, Op. posth.
     SCHUBERT: Lacrimoso son io, D. 131
MOZART: Lacrimoso son io, K. 555
May 1998
 HANDEL: Israel in Egypt
December 1997
 
     BRUCKNER: Kyrie and Agnus Dei (from Mass in E minor) 


     STRAVINSKY: Mass
Richard STRAUSS: Serenade, Op. 7
April 1997
 
     BRAHMS: Selections from Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 52
     BRAHMS: Selections from Neue Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 65
     BRAHMS: Ungarische T�nze, Nos. 1, 6, and 14


     POULENC: Sept Chansons (1936)
POULENC: Sonata for Four-hand Piano
December 1996
 ROSSINI: Stabat Mater
April 1996
 
     MOZART: Mass in C minor, K. 427
BEETHOVEN: Choral Fantasy, Op. 80
December 1995
 MENDELSSOHN: Elijah, Op. 70
April 1995
 
     MOZART: Requiem, K. 626
MOZART: Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass), K. 317
December 1994
 
     BACH: Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227 
     BACH: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!, BWV 70
SCHUBERT: Magnificat
April 1994
 
     POULENC: Gloria

RAVEL: Nicolette and Trois beaux oiseaux du Paradis (from Trois Chansons)

BORODIN: Polovetsian Dances
December 1993
 
     BRITTEN: Saint Nicholas, Op. 42
BERNSTEIN: Chichester Psalms
April 1993
 HAYDN: The Creation
December 1992
 HANDEL: Messiah
April 1992
 
     ROSSINI: Messa di Gloria, Op. posth.

DVORAK: Te Deum, Op.103

(Guest Conductor: Johanna Hill Simpson)
December 1991
 
     RESPIGHI: Lauda per la Nativita del Signore
HAYDN: Harmoniemesse
April 1991
 MENDELSSOHN: Elijah, Op. 70
December 1990
 
     MOZART: Overture to Idomeneo, K. 366
MOZART: Mass in C minor, K. 427 (417a)
April 1990
 
     Lyle DAVIDSON: Voices of the Dark

BRAHMS: Nänie, Op. 82

HAYDN: Missa in Angustiis (Lord Nelson Mass), Hob. XXII:11

(Guest Conductor: Scott Tucker)
December 1989
 
     YANNATOS: Lux aeterna
     FAURÉ: Requiem, Op. 48 
     DEBUSSY: Trois chansons de Charles d’Orléans
BRUCKNER: Te Deum
April 1989
 HANDEL: Israel in Egypt
December 1988
 
     MOZART: Symphony No. 28 in C, K. 200
MOZART: Requiem, K.626
April 1988
 SCHUBERT: Mass in A-flat
December 1987
 
     BUXTEHUDE: Der Herr ist mit mir
     DISTLER: Totentanz
     BACH: Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40
BEETHOVEN: Choral Fantasy
April 1987
 ORFF: Carmina Burana
December 1986
 
     HAYDN: Te Deum
     HAYDN: Missa in Tempore Belli
Spanish and Italian madrigals
April 1986
 
     MOZART: Three movements from Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K. 339 


     STRAVINSKY: Mass
     GINASTERA: Lamentations of Jeremiah
BRAHMS: Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 52
December 1985
 
     MOZART: Regina coeli, K. 276
     German madrigals
     SCHÜTZ: Jauchzet dem Herrn


     MENDELSSOHN: Heilig
HAYDN: Theresienmesse
April 1985
 
     BLOW: Selections from Ode to St. Cecilia of 1684
     English madrigals
     HANDEL: The King shall rejoice (Coronation Anthem No. 2)
BACH: Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187
December 1984
 
     FAURÉ: Pavane, Op. 50
     BEETHOVEN: Mass in C
French and English madrigals
April 1984
 
     BRAHMS: Nänie, Op. 82


     COPLAND: American folksongs
     BRITTEN: Selections from Five Flower Songs
     COPLAND: The Lark
BERNSTEIN: Chichester Psalms
December 1983
 
     BACH: Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172 
     MOZART: Ave verum corpus


     BACH: Lobet den Herrn
WEBER: Mass in G major
April 1983
 
     MOZART: Te Deum in C, K. 141
     HANDEL: Laudate pueri Dominum
BRAHMS: Neue Liebeslieder Walzer, Op. 65
December 1982
 
     BACH: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72
HAYDN: Missa in Angustiis (Lord Nelson Mass), Hob. XXII:11
April 1982
 
     VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Five Mystical Songs
FAURÉ: Requiem, Op. 48
December 1981
 
     BACH: Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40
MOZART: Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K. 339
April 1981
 
     HANDEL: Then round about thy starry throne
     PURCELL: Sing unto the Lord


     WEELKES: Hark all ye lovely saints above
     HANDEL: Music spread thy voice around
     BRITTEN: Selections from Choral Dances from Gloriana
     BENNET: All creatures now are merry-minded


     VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: In Windsor forest
HANDEL: Let their celestial concerts all unite
December 1980
 
     HAYDN: Te Deum
     MENDELSSOHN: Heilig
     MOZART: Missa brevis in F
BACH: Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150