The Harvard Summer Chorus, founded in 1936, will be led by Harvard’s Director of Choral Activities, Andrew Clark, in Summer 2025. The ensemble is open by audition to Harvard Summer School students, Harvard affiliates (ID holders), and members of the community, including local high school and college students.
More information can be found below. Please email [email protected] with questions.
More information can be found below. Please email [email protected] with questions.
Schedule
Rehearsals: Starting Thursday, June 26, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7-9:30pm | Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall
Dress Rehearsal: Thursday, July 31, 7-10pm | Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall
Concert: Friday, August 1, 8pm | Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall
Dress Rehearsal: Thursday, July 31, 7-10pm | Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall
Concert: Friday, August 1, 8pm | Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall
Repertoire
Shared Sorrows, Shared Hope: Dvořák and Bonds
This year’s Harvard Summer Chorus concert presents the Boston première of Antonín Dvořák’s original 1876 version of his Stabat Mater for piano, soloists, and choir—an intimate, grief-stricken meditation composed after the death of his infant daughter. In thoughtful dialogue with this work, the program also features Simon Bore the Cross by composer Margaret Bonds, a musical and spiritual reflection on the Passion story from the perspective of Simon of Cyrene, the North African man who carried Jesus’s cross. With text by Langston Hughes and a sound world rooted in Black spirituals, Bonds’s cantata offers a powerful counterpart to Dvořák’s maternal lament, reframing hope and despair through the lens of Black identity and historical memory.
The two works will be presented in a single, uninterrupted sequence, alternating movements between them to create a continuous, one-act meditation on sorrow, compassion, and sacred witness. The program explores what historian Joseph Horowitz called “Dvořák’s prophecy”—a vision for American classical music shaped, not bound, by European tradition, and rooted in influences original to the American experience, most especially African American music. Ultimately, Shared Sorrows, Shared Hope invites listeners to consider how music, grounded in personal and collective grief, can expand our empathy and offer a path toward healing and shared humanity.
The Summer Chorus 2025 repertoire list is subject to change.
This year’s Harvard Summer Chorus concert presents the Boston première of Antonín Dvořák’s original 1876 version of his Stabat Mater for piano, soloists, and choir—an intimate, grief-stricken meditation composed after the death of his infant daughter. In thoughtful dialogue with this work, the program also features Simon Bore the Cross by composer Margaret Bonds, a musical and spiritual reflection on the Passion story from the perspective of Simon of Cyrene, the North African man who carried Jesus’s cross. With text by Langston Hughes and a sound world rooted in Black spirituals, Bonds’s cantata offers a powerful counterpart to Dvořák’s maternal lament, reframing hope and despair through the lens of Black identity and historical memory.
The two works will be presented in a single, uninterrupted sequence, alternating movements between them to create a continuous, one-act meditation on sorrow, compassion, and sacred witness. The program explores what historian Joseph Horowitz called “Dvořák’s prophecy”—a vision for American classical music shaped, not bound, by European tradition, and rooted in influences original to the American experience, most especially African American music. Ultimately, Shared Sorrows, Shared Hope invites listeners to consider how music, grounded in personal and collective grief, can expand our empathy and offer a path toward healing and shared humanity.
The Summer Chorus 2025 repertoire list is subject to change.
dues
The dues for Summer 2025 are below and include scores. All dues should be paid at the first rehearsal. More information will be sent prior to June 26. In certain cases of financial hardship, you may petition for a discount by emailing [email protected].
- $0 for Harvard Summer School enrolled students
- $25 for Current Students (scores only)
- $150 Community Members
auditions
Harvard Summer School students will audition live at Sanders Theatre in the evening of June 24 and the audition will consist of singing a simple melody and a few vocal exercises. Sign up below.
High School students, College students, and Community Members will be asked to submit a video recording singing a song of your choosing. Submit recording below.
If you are a member of any of the following ensembles, you are exempt from auditioning for the 2025 Harvard Summer Chorus. You must still complete the interest form to secure your spot.
The registration deadline for the Harvard Summer Chorus has passed. Late submissions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and if space is available. Please email [email protected] indicating your interest.
High School students, College students, and Community Members will be asked to submit a video recording singing a song of your choosing. Submit recording below.
If you are a member of any of the following ensembles, you are exempt from auditioning for the 2025 Harvard Summer Chorus. You must still complete the interest form to secure your spot.
- Member of the 2024 Harvard Summer Chorus
- Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus
- Harvard Glee Club
- Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum
- Radcliffe Choral Society
- MMEA All State Choir 2024 or 2025
- Participant of Sr. District Chorus 2024 or 2025
- Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choirs or Alumni
- Harvard University Choir
The registration deadline for the Harvard Summer Chorus has passed. Late submissions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and if space is available. Please email [email protected] indicating your interest.
Interest form (required for participation)
The registration deadline for the Harvard Summer Chorus has passed. Late submissions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and if space is available. Please email [email protected] indicating your interest.