The Choral Project is a mixed-voice

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

founded in 1996 by artistic director and conductor Daniel D. Hughes and based in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

. The group's vision is "to heal our world through music and words," while their mission is "to connect to one another through choral theater, education and musical excellence." The Choral Project's repertoire is broad and diverse, ranging from

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...

Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

, and

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

to modern composers like

Kirke Mechem Kirke Mechem (born August 16, 1925) is an American composer. His first opera, ''Tartuffe'', with over 450 performances in nine countries, has become one of the most popular operas written by an American. He has composed more than 250 works in almo ...

, Rene Clausen, Michael Ostrzyga, Stephen Jackson and

Eric Whitacre Eric Edward Whitacre (born January2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music. Early life Whitacre was born in Reno, Nevada, to Ross and Roxanne Whitacre. He studied piano intermittently as a child a ...

. They have performed in Washington, D.C.'s

National Cathedral National Cathedral may refer to: * Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral, a cathedral of the Philippine Independent Church in Manila * National Cathedral of Ghana, a planned interdenominational cathedral in Accra * National Cathedral ...

, San Francisco's

Mission Dolores Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name), including list of people and fictional characters with the name Dolores may also refer to: Film * '' ...

Basilica, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, Santa Cruz' Holy Cross Church, and multiple venues in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. During their 2001 tour, The Choral Project appeared live on Mexican National Radio. In 2004, the ensemble competed in the Mixed Choir division of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in Wales, coming away with a second-place finish. In 2007, while competing against six choirs from around the world at the California International Choral Festival & Competition in San Luis Obispo, California, the group placed in all three categories - 1st place in the Choir's Choice category, 2nd place in the Required Music category and 3rd in the Folk Music category. Every season, The Choral Project uses one concert to focus on an important social issue. For example, in February 2017 the choir performed Street Requiem with mezzo soprano

Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade (born 1 June 1945) is a semi-retired American classical singer. Best known for her work in opera, she was also a recitalist and concert artist, and she recorded more than a hundred albums and videos. She is especially associa ...

to highlight the issue of homelessness. The ''

Santa Cruz Sentinel The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by Media News Group, which is controlled by Alden Global Capital. History The paper was owned by the McP ...

'' wrote, "The piece, said the 53-voice Choral Project’s artistic director Daniel Hughes, addresses issues of what it’s like to live on the streets and assumes the voice of the homeless in confronting the audience, 'Why do you ignore me when you leave the concert hall? To date, The Choral Project has released eight albums: ''The Cycle of Life'', ''Of Christmastide'', ''Americana'', ''Water & Light'' (the group’s #1 best seller on the Clarion label), ''Winter'', ''One is the All'', ''Tell the World'', and most recently ''Yuletide'', a festive collection of holiday favorites. The Choral Project also performs on the San José Chamber Orchestra recording of the dramatic oratorio '' Choose Life, Uvacharta Bachayim'', by composer Mona Lyn Reese and librettist Delores Dufner, OSB. The Choral Project is also a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

organization involved in community outreach, including a choral mentorship program for local high school students, joint performances with visiting choirs and an annual Choral Composition Contest for high school students and undergraduates.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Choral Project, The Musical groups established in 1996 Musical groups from San Jose, California Choirs in the San Francisco Bay Area 1996 establishments in California Arts organizations established in 1996 501(c)(3) organizations