The Washington Chorus Releases the Audio of Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow on iTunes, Spotify

THE WASHINGTON CHORUS RELEASES THE WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING OF

DAMIEN GETER’S CANTATA FOR A MORE HOPEFUL TOMORROW

AVAILABLE NOW ON ITUNES AND FOR STREAMING ON SPOTIFY

The commissioned work was part of a short music film which premiered in November 2020

(Washington, D.C.)— The Washington Chorus (TWC) is proud to announce the digital release of Damien Geter’s Cantata for A More Hopeful Tomorrow. The recording, made virtually due to the pandemic, is available now on iTunes and for streaming on Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, iHeart Radio, Sirius XM, and Pandora.

Influenced by stories of hope and the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on the Black community,The Washington Chorus and Artistic Director Dr. Eugene Rogers commissioned composer Damien Geter and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Bob Berg to produce a short music film that premiered in November 2020. The work features soprano Aundi Marie Moore, cellist Seth Parker Woods, and over 100 singers of The Washington Chorus.

After seeing the devastating effects the virus has had on all communities and witnessing first-hand the racial and social injustices of recent times, it was important to Artistic Director Dr Eugene Rogers and the Chorus that they connect with the BIPOC community with a message of hope. By commissioning composer Damien Geter to create this work, and recording it with the chorus and soloists all doing so virtually from their bedrooms, basements, and kitchens, TWC  hope to reflect the creative resilience of the Chorus and the importance of continuing to create, continuing to connect, and continuing to bring people together, even while physically apart

“It was important for The Washington Chorus to step forward with musical space for reflection, healing, and hope amidst the COVID-19 global health pandemic and America’s long overdue reckoning with historic racial injustices.” says Stephen Beaudoin, TWC Executive Director.

Although this is the first recording led by Rogers who joined TWC shortly before the pandemic forced the organization to cancel live performances, this his isn’t the first time the Chorus has published a self-produced work.  Their  Grammy-award winning recording of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem was recorded live in 1995 and released in 1999.

Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow HERE

Trailer HERE

List of streaming platforms HERE

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About The Washington Chorus:

The Washington Chorus (TWC), entering its 60th season, is one of the foremost symphonic choruses in the nation. Noted for the superb artistry of its performances and recordings of the entire range of the choral repertoire, TWC is widely recognized as a cultural leader in the nation’s capital.

A three-time nominated and two-time Grammy Award winner, the 160-voice Washington Chorus presents an annual subscription series at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, regularly performs at the invitation of the National Symphony Orchestra, and appears annually at the Music Center at Strathmore in Maryland and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Virginia.

TWC was the first major Washington area chorus to be founded independent of a church or college. In 1961 Hugh Hayward, a medical doctor and classically trained musician, founded the Oratorio Society of Montgomery County, which became known as the Oratorio Society of Washington, and is now celebrated under the name of The Washington Chorus. In 1971, Robert Shafer succeeded Hayward as music director, leading the chorus for more than three decades with great distinction, including two Grammy Awards. From 2008–2017 Julian Wachner led the organization with education and innovation at the forefront of his programs. Christopher Bell brought unparalleled attention to precision and clarity to the ensemble with his trademark flair during his tenure as Artistic Director from 2017 to 2020. The Chorus' fifth Artistic Director Eugene Rogers is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed next-generation conductors and musical thought leaders today working at the intersection of classical music and social change.

TWC’s commitment to the greater Washington community is evidenced by its Connections Programs, including the Side-by-Side high school program and the DC Honor Chorus in partnership with DC Public Schools.

Chorus America, the national association for choruses, has honored The Washington Chorus with the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and the ASCAP Alice Parker Award, which recognizes a chorus programming significant, recently-composed music that expands the mission of the chorus and challenges audiences in new ways. Other awards include the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance for the live-performance recording of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and a 1996 Grammy Award for John Corigliano’s Of Rage and Remembrance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Slatkin.

TWC has appeared at the invitation of leading orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. TWC is proud to have sung with the NSO in more than 300 performances, under the direction of many of the world’s greatest conductors, including Gianandrea Noseda, Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Neville Marriner, Kent Nagano, Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Andrew Davis, and many others.

TWC has sung for numerous prestigious events throughout its history— inaugurations, papal visits, with the Rolling Stones during their 50th anniversary tour, and at the White House in 2013 and 2014 for the President and First Lady.