Description

Though much has changed since the Chorale was founded in 1937, its resolve to share music of the highest quality hasn't wavered. Learn more about us at HERITAGECHORALE.ORG or read on for highlights of our organization. PROGRAMMING: Originally named the Framingham Choral Society, the Chorale was founded by a small group of Framingham residents on a budget of just $62! Ever since, except for a brief time during World War II, the Chorale has rehearsed and performed in Framingham and nearby communities. During its long history, the Chorale’s size has fluctuated between 40 and 100 singers. Its performances showcase a wide range of both classical and contemporary choral works. Most recently, the Chorale has presented works of contemporary composers such as Daniel Pinkham, Morten Lauridsen, and Randall Thompson, as well as the magnificent music of Mendelssohn, Mozart, Haydn, and Brahms. In February, 1988, the Chorale began an annual production of lighter musical fare – a Pops-style program – often designed around themes and with popular pieces from opera, movies, and musical theater. COLLABORATIONS: In 2015, the Chorale collaborated with Monroe Crossing, one of America's finest Bluegrass bands, to present The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass by Carol Barnett. Later in the same year, the Chorale presented Rutter’s rarely-heard Mass of the Children in collaboration with VOICES Boston, the superb children’s chorus that frequently performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our Shakespeare and Friends program in 2016 was a collaboration with the Handel and Haydn Society’s Young Women’s Chorus (YWC), directed by Alyson Greer. The Chorale also has collaborated with area symphonic groups to perform major works, including Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Brahms’ A German Requiem with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, and Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the Boston College Symphony Orchestra.

CONCERT TOURS: In July, 2010, the Chorale traveled on its first concert tour and performed in the European capitals of Vienna, Austria and Prague, Czech Republic, as well as at Melk Abbey. This was followed in the summer of 2012 by a tour to Canada, where we were privileged to bring our music to Montréal and Québec City. Most recently, from June 29 to July 6, 2015, the Chorale toured Ireland with concerts in Galway, Derry, and Dublin.