about gvcs
The Greenwich Village Chamber Singers is presently in its 46th season of performing secular and sacred choral music of all periods. The mixed chamber chorus of approximately 36 voices, based in Greenwich Village, includes members from all over the greater New York metropolitan area and is a recognized creative force in New York City’s music community. The chorus lost its beloved Music Director of over 40 years, Mark Mangini, in September, 2021. After a season of leadership by Interim Music Director Alec Galambos, the chorus welcomed its new permanent Music Director, Michael Sheetz, in July, 2022 and looks forward to a bright future under his baton.
Over its history of almost a half century, the ensemble has performed a wide variety of works, including the Handel oratorios Israel in Egypt, Judas Maccabaeus, Messiah, and Solomon. Baroque and pre-baroque composers also include Bach, Schütz, Monteverdi, Charpentier, and Vivaldi; other performances have encompassed settings of the Mass by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner, Dvořák, Kodály, Stravinsky, and Rossini. The group’s repertoire also includes a cappella works by Victoria, Palestrina, Byrd, Poulenc, Duruflé, Monteverdi, and Bruckner, and twentieth-century works by Respighi, Barber, Britten, Honegger, Copland, Ives, Rutter, Bernstein, Hoiby, Rorem, Earnest, Busto and Spratlan.
In 2007, The Greenwich Village Chamber Singers teamed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the Choral Society of the Hamptons under Mark Mangini’s baton to produce two gala performances of American composer Lukas Foss’s monumental secular cantata The Prairie. In 2010, the chorus collaborated in performance with the Amor Artis Chorus and Orchestra, led by the late Johannes Somary. Recent collaborations with the Choral Society of the Hamptons include performances of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem in 2009, Mozart’s Grand Mass in C Minor, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Bach Cantata No. 79, and Haydn’s The Creation in June 2015.
The chorus celebrated its 40th anniversary season with June and July 2017 performances of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Choral Society of the Hamptons in Manhattan and East Hampton. The Greenwich Village Chamber Singers is committed to the presentation of new works by contemporary composers. This has included two newly-commissioned world premieres in 2005 by Walter Hilse and Jonathan David, as well as an April, 2013 performance of Ghazal, by Alec Galambos. In December, 2016, the chorus was proud to present the New York premiere of David’s carol, All My Heart This Night Rejoices, which won the 2nd Annual New England Carol Contest.
The chorus is also excited to join the commissioning consortium that will enable it to present a 2023 premiere of David Avshamalov’s 3 Water Songs.
The chorus has produced four live concert CDs, In Dulci Jubilo, Natale in Venezia, Dido & Aeneas, Christmas in England and America, and a studio recording of a cappella works entitled My Spirit Sang All Day. In April, 2021, the chorus performed its first streamed concert, Madrigals and Part Songs, which can be viewed at event.musae.me/join/madrigals.
membership
The Greenwich Village Chamber Singers (GVCS) welcomes singers who want to become part of its tradition of making high-quality choral music in Greenwich Village. In a smaller choral ensemble, every voice makes a difference. GVCS is known for its beautiful timbre, high standards of musicianship, and innovative programming.
Auditions
We are interested in experienced singers with good sight-reading skills. Please feel free to contact us if you are not sure of your level. Auditions are brief and relatively informal and include testing of sight-reading, pitch, and rhythm. At present, we have openings for tenors, baritones and basses. Openings for sopranos and altos may be available for this coming season and will be announced here and on the Vocal Area Network website (www.VAN.org).
To arrange an audition send an email to info@gvsingers.org or call 646.543.9605.
Rehearsals
Our season typically runs from early September through late May. Our rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings at St. John’s in the Village, 218 West 11th Street (one block west of 7th Avenue) in Manhattan, with the addition of one Saturday daytime rehearsal per concert, to be announced. Regular rehearsals run from 7:30 pm until 9:45 pm. We ask for a commitment from our singers to regular attendance at rehearsals.
Performances
We perform two or three concerts each season, and most often on Friday evenings. We generally have two dress rehearsals per concert, usually on Wednesday and Thursday evening of concert week. Most concerts are performed only once, although on occasion, we expand some of our concerts to two performances. Concerts are held at various Manhattan venues, including Church of Our Lady of Pompeii, Church of St. Luke in the Fields (both in Greenwich Village) and Saint Peter’s Church at the Citicorp Center. Members are strongly encouraged to sell tickets to our concerts, but are not required to sell any specific number of tickets.
Concert Dress
Concert dress for women is solid black pants or ankle-length skirt, long-sleeved solid black blouse and black shoes; concert dress for men is solid black pants, long-sleeved solid black shirt and black shoes.
Music
We order all music in bulk and make copies of scores available to our members at cost. Members are expected to buy the music for each concert from the chorus.
Dues
Membership dues range from $150 to $210 per year, depending on the age of the member and whether we are performing a two or three concert season.
