About the Symphony Chorus

 

The Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus traces its beginnings to the 1940’s; at that time, there were three vocal groups in Winston-Salem, which eventually merged in 1960 to form the Singers’ Guild. The Singers’ Guild often performed concerts with the Symphony, and in the fall of 1971 merged with the Symphony and became the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorale. Now called the Symphony Chorus, it has has been directed by David Partington, Norman Johnson, Peter Perret, Donald Armitage, James Allbritten, and Dr. Carole J. Ott, and currently is under the direction of Dr. Christopher Gilliam. The Chorale consists of over 100 auditioned volunteer singers, many of whom are members of area church choirs and university choruses. The Symphony and Chorus perform large choral masterpieces which in recent seasons have included Haydn’s Creation, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the Requiem masses of Mozart, Brahms, and Verdi. The Chorus also joins the Symphony on earlier, smaller-scale works such as Bach’s St. John Passion and an annual production of Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus holds its own performances in local venues, providing intimate and moving choral experiences for audiences away from the Symphony concert hall.