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The Seattle Chamber Singers (= SCS) is a 55-voice chorus with membership by audition. Founded in 1969, the Chamber Singers began as a madrigal group, and in the early years performed Renaissance and Baroque music with original instruments of the era as well as new music by Seattle composers, several of whom were group members. Interest in expanding the repertoire led to a gradual increase in the size of the chorus to meet the requirements of the oratorio literature.
Over the last thirty-four years, the Chamber Singers have introduced rarely heard choral masterpieces to Seattle audiences such as George Frideric Handel's Israel in Egypt, Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers, and Haydn’s The Seasons. The Seattle Chamber Singers have championed new choral music by Seattle composers Robert Kechley, Huntley Beyer, and Carol Sams. With the leadership of George Shangrow, the Chamber Singers have focused on the music of J.S. Bach through presentations of his great choral works, including cantatas, motets and oratorios. Praised by critics for their vibrant sound and spirited, disciplined singing, the Chamber Singers have also delighted in performing classics of the choral literature such as G.F. Handel’s Messiah, L.v. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Johannes Brahms’ German Requiem. |
