Choral music ensembles
From Choir Concert to Chamber Singers, Earlham College offers a wide variety of choral ensembles for students interested in honing their vocal skills with a group.
Learn more about our ensembles below:
Concert Choir
Highlighting Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass (SATB) voices, this traditional large ensemble performs a varied repertoire. From secular to sacred, touching on Western music history and highlighting non-Western traditions.
Recent performances include Handel’s Messiah, Lauridsen’s Lux aeterna and Midwinter Songs, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, as well as William Culverhouse’s own Requiem for chorus and harp.
Performances also include choral compositions by Arab, African, Canadian, Cuban, Latvian and Russian composers, often featuring world percussion and traditional instruments. The Concert Choir also collaborates with living composers, having recently premiered Forrest Tobey’s Keeping Still and David Arbury’s Trade Winds, and having participated in residencies with Shireen Abu-Khader and Mari Valverde.
The Concert Choir performs on campus, in the community and on tours of the Midwest and East Coast including Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
At a glance
- Director: Doug Johnson
- Audition required
Alta Voce
This ensemble focuses on music created by living composers. Through our programs, we promote the works of today’s most talented female composers, such as Mari Valverde, Joan Szymko, Abbie Betinis and Jocelyn Hagen.
Alta Voce performs repertoire from all time periods, both sacred and secular, including classical and non-Western selections. Our performers learn traditional vocal production from countries such as Georgia, Serbia and Bulgaria.
Recent performances include Randall Thompson’s Place of the Blest, Holst’s eight-part Ave Maria, and the original SSAA version of Vivaldi’s Gloria with orchestra.
Alta Voce engages with its community through collaborations with regional symphony orchestras, Cincinnati’s premier women’s chorus, MUSE, participation in International Women’s Week concerts at Ball State University and at Centerville High School, as well as fundraising concerts for the Genesis Women’s Shelter. Alta Voce performs on campus as well as on tours of the Midwest and East Coast including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
At a glance
- Director: Doug Johnson
- Explores music from around the world
Chamber Singers
This small Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass (SATB) ensemble focuses on the rich repertoire of 16th-century madrigals from a variety of countries. This group also performs repertoire from other time periods and genres, including Baroque music, vocal jazz and music by living composers.
Recent works of note include Victoria’s Missa O Quam Gloriosum, Poulenc’s Un soir de neige, Lauridsen’s Chansons des Roses and Madrigali: Six Fire Songs, and Hindemith’s Six Chansons on the poetry of Rilke.
The Madrigal Singers often perform for special Earlham events and off-campus engagements. Recently, the group was invited to a master class with the Rose Ensemble
At a glance
- Director: Doug Johnson
- Highly selective
- Open to current members of Concert Choir and Alta Voce
- Audition required
Gentlemen’s Ensemble
This selective four-part men’s chorus (TTBB) performs a variety of styles ranging from Renaissance music to barbershop quartet repertoire, sea shanties and pop music. The group draws inspiration from groups such as The King’s Singers and Chanticleer.
Strong, dynamic, engaging solo singers are encouraged to audition for this ensemble, as there are opportunities for special performances on and off-campus that often include color performance and opportunities.
At a glance
- Director: Doug Johnson
- Open to current self-identified male members of Concert Choir
- Audition required
Gospel Revelations
This ensemble performs traditional and contemporary African-American gospel music, both a cappella and accompanied. On-campus and outreach performances include Soul to Sole, Gospel Revs’ yearly collaboration with Dance Alloy, Earlham’s student-led dance troupe.
At a glance
- Director: Patrick Piper
- Open to all students, faculty, and community members
- No audition required
Richmond Chorale
Earlham Choirs regularly collaborate with Indiana University East and community members to produce larger-scale works with instrumental ensemble or orchestra.
This group is open to Earlham faculty members and Richmond community members. Traditionally, this group rehearses once a week with performances in late April.
Recently, the Richmond Chorale has participated in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Lauridsen’s Lux aeterna and Midwinter Songs, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, as well as William Culverhouse’s own Requiem for chorus and harp.
At a glance
- Director: Doug Johnson
- Merging the Earlham and Richmond community
- Open to both amateur and professional singers
- Audition required