Wellesley College Choir

Wellesley College Choir

The Wellesley College Choir has been an important part of campus life since its founding in 1900. It numbers between 45 and 60 voices selected on the basis of auditions held at the beginning of each season. Choir members are drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds and present numerous concerts on and off campus during the academic year. Lisa Graham, the Evelyn Barry Director of Choral Programs at Wellesley College, has directed the Choir since Fall 2001.

The Choir's on campus concert series normally includes three traditional programs: a fall concert, endowed annually since 1964 in memory of Betty Edwards Dober '40, a Christmas Vespers service, and a spring concert, endowed annually since 1974 in memory of Marjorie Copland Baum '27. The Choir performs a variety of music, ranging from the 13th to 21st centuries.

In addition to presenting works for women's voices, the Choir often collaborates with all-male groups such as the Harvard Glee Club, the Cornell Glee Club, and the Virginia Glee Club to present works for mixed voices and orchestra. Recent performances include Randall Thompson's A Peacable Kingdom, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Brahms and Durufle Requiems, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass and Bach's Magnificat.

Recent commissions by the Choir include works by William DeFotis, Zae Munn, Marjorie Merryman, Jonathan Holland, and Brian Hulse. The Choir has traveled on both domestic and international tours, most recently to the Midwest in January 2006.

Recordings of the Choir and other ensembles are available for purchase. Please see the recordings page or e-mail choirmail [at] wellesley [dot] edu for more information.