New Mexico Symphonic Chorus: schedule and reviews

The New Mexico Symphonic Chorus (NMSC) was founded in 2011, but it is substantially the same organization as the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra (NMSO) Chorus (NMSOC): the same conductor, the same singers. (The NMSO was founded in 1932 but became defunct in 2011. The NMSOC dates back to the mid-1970s.)

See the official NMSC homepage for the current organization. For my history with the NMSOC 1995-2011, see my NMSOC repertoire and reviews page. Just for fun, there's a list of all the languages I've sung in in the NMSC or NMSOC.

Roger Melone has been the conductor of this organization since 1983, and it is a testament to our devotion to him that pretty much every singer in the NMSOC moved to the NMSC. Roger has a worldwide reputation as a choral director; for example, he conducted the world premiere of a new Menotti choral work at a convention of the American Choral Directors Association a few years ago.

Our chorus has received national recognition recently, invited four times to the Bravo/Vail Valley Music Festival. We sang Mozart's Requiem with the Rochester Philharmonic in 2006. We were invited back three times to sing with the Philadelphia Orchestra (Beethoven's Ninth in 2007 and Carmina Burana in 2008 and 2011).

Shipman's NMSC newbie hints

I've written a small handout to introduce singers who are new to the NMSC to some of our practices. It is an eight-page PDF file: NMSC newbie hints.

Recordings available!

These live concert recordings may be purchased directly from the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus web site.

• Rachmaninoff, Vespers, October 2010. We were still the New Mexico Symphony Chorus then.
• Mozart Requiem and Handel Coronation Anthems, October 2011.

Repertoire, schedule, and reviews

Upcoming:

• September 15–16, 2012: Mahler's Second Symphony, with the New Mexico Philharmonic, at Popejoy Hall. My favorite piece in all of music!
• October 14, 2012, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center:
  • Haydn, Lord Nelson Mass.
  • Bernstein, Chichester Psalms.
• December 16, 2012: Handel, Messiah, Popejoy Hall.
• February 24, 2013: A “Choral Tapestry”.
  • Byrd, Ave Verum Corpus.
  • Weelkes, When David Heard.
  • Bruckner, Os justi Meditabitur.
  • Bruckner, Ave Maria.
  • Brahms, Der Abend.
  • Brahms, O Schöne Nacht.
  • Houkom, The Red Pear Tree.
  • Persichetti, Winter Cantata.
  • Arr. Parker, Five Irish Songs with Harp.
• May, 2013: Brahms, Liebeslieder Waltzes; Orff, Catulli Carmina. Have a look at the Wikipedia entry for this piece. Some say that one reason it is not as well known as Carmina Burana is that it premiered smack in the middle of World War II.

Past performances:

• April 14, 6:00pm, St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, Third and Silver, Albuquerque: a spring program of lightly accompanied and a capella pieces.
  • Dvořák: In Nature
  • Górecki, Totus Tuus
  • Pärt, Magnificat
  • Ives, Psalm 90 for chorus, organ, and bells
• January 29, 2012 at National Hispanic Cultural Center: Honegger, King David. A glorious, slam-bang Old Testament oratorio, from the slingshot to Bathsheba and the crowning of Solomon. [Review]
• October 23, 2011 at National Hispanic Cultural Center.
  • Mozart, Requiem.
  • Handel, Coronation Anthems #1 (Zadok the Priest) and #2 (The King Shall Rejoice). A CD of this performance is available from the NMSC for $15, and I think it came out very well.

Last updated: 2015/11/16 00:59:10
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~shipman/music/nmsc/homepage.html