About…The Music

From Bach to Broadway,
From Haydn to Hollywood,
From Rutter to Ragtime
…our mission is to inspire the love of great choral music.

The presentation of diverse works from four centuries of composition has characterized the SVC since its inception. While many of our concerts feature choral masterpieces from the sacred repertoire, often sung in their original languages, we have performed secular pieces such as Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio (in its Pennsylvania premier) and Orff's Carmina Burana, excerpts from a number of Mozart, Wagner, and other operas. In addition, our concerts have included the multi-composer composition Sing for the Cure (a fundraiser to support breast cancer research) as well as ever-popular 20th-century "standards" and hits from stage and screen. Most of our concerts feature well-known works, but others include recent compositions or less-frequently performed older pieces. This requires Chorale members to extend their skills, and offers audiences the opportunity to hear different styles of choral music worthy of performance. (For a listing of the SVC's concerts see our Concert History.) This variety of presentations, including those that play key roles in community holiday celebrations, allows the SVC to reach the hearts, minds and souls of many persons, and enriches the cultural environment of our region.