Houston Chamber Choir Will Present the World Premiere of CIRCLESONG

Houston Chamber Choir welcomes renowned British composer Bob Chilcott for the world premiere of his newly revised Circlesong, a complete life cycle based on indigenous writings. Set for adult and youth choirs and percussion ensemble, each movement expresses a unique facet of the love and loss that was the Native American experience as our nation expanded westward.

This unique concert experience is an extraordinary opportunity to see a world premiere by one of Great Britain's major musical influencers. Thus, Houston Chamber Choir invites area high school choirs and their directors to attend free of charge. In order to take advantage of this opportunity to hear Chilcott's work presented by the Houston Chamber Choir, please contact Managing Director Mariam Khalili at info@houstonchamberhchoir.org. Seating is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Houston Chamber Choir's Luminary Society will host a party immediately following the Feb. 23 concert. Full details will be announced to all ticketed patrons. Guests will enjoy light bites and beverages while mingling with special guest, Bob Chilcott, Houston Chamber Choir Singers and Artistic Director Robert Simpson.

WHO:

The professional men and women singers of the Houston Chamber Choir will perform the world premiere of Circlesong with Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson conducting.

Chilcott, described by The Observer as "a contemporary hero of British Choral Music," has become one of the most widely performed composers and arrangers of choral music in the world. He has a large catalogue of works published by Oxford University Press which reflects his wide taste in music styles and his commitment to writing music that is both singable and communicative.

Chilcott has been involved in choral music most of his life - he was a chorister and then a choral scholar in the choir of King's College, Cambridge, and from 1985-1997 was a member of the British vocal group The King's Singers for whom he made several popular arrangements of well-known songs from all genres. As well as being a full-time composer, he is also a highly acclaimed choral conductor, serving as Principal Guest Conductor of The BBC Singers since 2002.

WHEN:

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.

WHERE:

South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main St., Houston, 77002

TARIFF:

Regular tickets are $40, with special prices of $36 for seniors and military members and $10 for students. A limited number of free tickets are available to high school students. Please go to our website at houstonchamberchoir.org to purchase tickets.

MORE: For parking: There is ample parking available to all patrons in the main parking lot of the church. For handicap access to the sanctuary: Enter through the Welcome Center, located to the right of the sanctuary. Go around the stairs and take the elevator up to level 2. Turn right after exiting the elevator and go through the doors and the sanctuary is located at the bottom of the ramp.

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The Houston Chamber Choir has established itself as one of the premier professional choirs in the United States, serving Houston through concerts and educational initiatives that enlighten, entertain, and educate people of all ages. The Chamber Choir released its fifth CD, "The Complete Choral Works of Maurice Duruflé," with organist Ken Cowan in April 2019, which has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the category of "Best Choral Performance."

Winner of Chorus America's 2018 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the Choir has been described by The Tallis Scholars founder Peter Phillips as "one of this country's leading ensembles." It also received The American Prize for best choral performance in the country and its Artistic Director Robert Simpson received the award in the conducting category in 2015. Additionally, Houston Chamber Choir was selected as one of 24 choirs to participate in the prestigious World Symposium on Choral Music in Auckland, New Zealand in July 2020.

Led by Artistic Director Robert Simpson, the Houston Chamber Choir is composed of 25 professional singers, most of whom have studied at the top music schools and conservatories in the United States including Julliard, New England Conservatory, University of Houston, and the University of Texas. These musicians are selected through rigorous auditions from the finest singers in our region and are compensated for all rehearsals and performances. Simpson was honored by Chorus America with the Michael Korn Founders Award in 2015 for his contributions to developing the professional choral art.

Photo Credit: John Bellars