Vocal/Choral Ensembles
JOIN A CHORAL ENSEMBLE! (You will love it)
Choral Ensembles are open to all UMass students (not just Music majors), subject to auditions held at the beginning of each semester.
Please see the Choral Activities website for more information about Chamber Choir, University Chorale, Women's Choir, and Conductors' Chorus.
Brief and enjoyable placement hearings are required for all choirs. Please see the Choral Activities site for details about the ensembles, and the Auditions page for specific information and links to sign up.
Spring 2023: All voice parts are welcome to audition for University Chorale (MUS 560, meets MW 6-8pm, Bromery Rm. 44). Auditions will be Sunday, Feb. 5, and Monday, Feb. 6, both at 3:30-5pm in Bromery Rm. 357 (Dr. Paparo's office). For the audition, you will vocalize to show your range and do some echo patterns. Email Dr. Paparo (spaparo@umass.edu) with any questions.
Sign-up for Sunday, Feb. 5 between 3:30 and 5pm
Sign-up for Monday, Feb. 6 between 3:30 and 5pm
For those interested in auditioning for Conductors' Chorus, please email Dr. Pope (lpope@umass.edu). Chamber Choir is not accepting new members for the spring.
Lindsay Pope is the Director of Choral Studies, and conductor of the Chamber Choir. Stephen Paparo conducts the University Chorale.
Spring performances are Sat. March 4, 7:30pm (Five College Choral Festival), Sat. April 1, 4pm, (Chorale only, Mahler Sym #2), Sat. April 22, 7:30pm (Bach Festival, Mass in B minor) and Sun. May 14, 4pm (all choral ensembles).
General info: Ensembles are open to all UMass Amherst students, subject to auditions held at the beginning of each semester. All ensembles appear in concert on campus several times a year. Ensembles have also been selected to represent UMass Amherst at conventions and festivals that have included Symphony Hall in Springfield, MA; the Washington, D.C. home of the Marine Band; and the Capitol Building in Boston.
Chamber Choir (MUS 563, meets MWF 2:30-4:10pm)
Lindsay Pope, director
Chamber Choir performs a core repertoire chosen from the greatest classical American and European choral traditions as well as from other parts of the world. Recent performances include the Fauré Requiem, Bach St. John Passion, the Brahms Requiem, Handel's Messiah and Missa Gaia by the Paul Winter Consort.
University Chorale (MUS 560, meets MW 6-8pm)
Stephen A. Paparo, director
Repertoire chosen to provide a wide range of choral experience representing many traditions. Recent performances include Bach's Magnificat, Mendelssohn's Lauda Sion, Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Randall Thompson's Alleluia plus African-American spirituals, Latin-American songs, Lullabies and Spring Night's Moon: settings of 4 Japanese tanka. The university community is particularly encouraged to audition.
Women's Choir (MUS 562, meets MWF 12:15-1:15pm)
Comprised primarily of non-major undergraduate and graduate students, Women's Choir performs a wide variety of choral literature written for treble voices, including world music and works with instrumental accompaniment. The ability to read music is not required; open to Five College students with or without previous choral experience.
Conductors' Chorus (MUS 518/597C, meets T Th 1-2:15pm)
Lindsay Pope, faculty coordinator
The Conductors' Chorus, a chamber ensemble of 24-32 singers, is comprised of the graduate Choral Conducting majors and other interested advanced students, with the purpose of providing conducting pedagogy experiences for the Graduate Choral Conducting students. The Chorus performs significant repertoire from all periods, including masterworks with chamber orchestra. Conductors' Chorus fulfills (with instructor and advisor permission) the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors.
Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Catherine Jensen-Hole, director (See the Jazz Ensembles webpage for details & how to audition)
The primary ensemble for vocal jazz studies at UMass Amherst, it has been named "Best Collegiate Jazz Choir" by DownBeat magazine. Consisting of 8-12 singers and a rhythm section that is often augmented by horns, the ensemble performs both standard and contemporary jazz repertoire arranged by faculty, students and nationally recognized vocal jazz arrangers.
Opera Workshop
Marjorie Melnick, William Hite, & Jamie-Rose Guarrine, coordinators (Voice faculty)
A Performance Workshop for singers; A four-semester sequence designed for the future educator and performer alike. Students acquire lyric stage and production skills. Semester II culminates in a Scenes program; Semesters III and IV study and present a full operatic production. Periodic collaboration with the University Orchestra. Admission is by audition or instructor approval regardless of sequence.
