The Harvard Summer Chorus is a unique blend of all ages, backgrounds, and histories. As a program sponsored by the Harvard Summer School, the Summer Chorus welcomes the high school students who take part in the program, as well as collegiate singers and adult community members from all over the world. Please read about our auditions, our rehearsal schedule, and our concert information, and we hope to see you this summer!
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Audition

Concerts & Tickets

Member Info

​Harvard Summer Chorus 82nd Anniversary Season
June 26th – August 5th
Andrew Clark, Conductor and Director of Choral Activities
Margaret Weckworth, Associate Conductor
Thomas Sheehan, Pianist
 
CARL ORFF: Carmina Burana (1936)
JONATHAN DOVE: Arion and the Dolphin (2016)
(North American première)
 
with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP)
Gil Rose, Artistic Director
 
Performances:
 Friday August 3, 8p, Sanders Theatre (free admission)
Sunday August 5, 3p, Peterborough Town House, Peterborough NH
as part of the Monadnock Music Festival
 
Rehearsals:
Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7p-9:30p beginning June 26th
Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall
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This season, the Harvard Summer Chorus explores Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, one of world’s most popular and ubiquitous choral works. Based on a collection of thirteenth-century poem, Carmina Burana sets universal human themes — the fickleness of fate, the cycle of seasons, love and life — to soaring music for grand chorus. The “O Fortuna” movement is instantly recognizable from dramatic soundtracks and sporting events. Conceived as a companion piece for Carmina Burana, Jonathan Dove’s Arion and the Dolphin receives its North American premiere in these performances. The composer writes: “Arion is a young poet from Corinth who wins first prize in a singing contest in Sicily. During his voyage home, the sailors plot to kill him and keep his prize-money. Arion begs to sing one last song, and they allow him. His song draws dolphins to the ship. As soon as he finishes his song, he jumps overboard and is rescued by one of the dolphins who carries him to safety. The dolphin ends among the stars, as the constellation Delphinus.” Jonathan Dove’s vibrant and lyrical music brings this ancient myth to life through the eloquent libretto written by Robert Graves. Our performance will feature the GRAMMY-nominated Boston Modern Orchestra Project alongside professional vocal soloists. 

Auditions
Auditions are now closed for the 2018 Harvard Summer Chorus.
Stay tuned for information about Summer 2019.
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To learn more, email harvardsummerchorus@gmail.com
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Click here to visit the Harvard Summer Chorus Facebook page!