SINGING TOGETHER SINCE 1967

The Vermont Choral Union draws inspiration from more than ten centuries of classical vocal ensemble music. Sharing a passion for artistic and musical development, our singers strive to delight audiences with programs that portray the rich and diverse history of choral singing.

 

Originally called The University of Vermont Choral Union, the ensemble was founded in 1967 by James G. Chapman, Professor of Music at UVM. Dr. Chapman (1927-2011) directed the choir until his retirement in 2004, after which the group’s name changed to The Vermont Choral Union. Gary Moreau succeeded Dr. Chapman as director through 2010. Carol Reichard served as guest conductor in spring 2011, and the group welcomed Jeff Rehbach as director in fall 2011. When Jeff retired, Lisa Jablow became director in the fall of 2018, followed by interim director Steven Klimowski in the fall of 2019. In 2022 the Choral Union named Eric Milnes as its newest director.

 

In 1983 the Choral Union began to present its popular carol dinners at Southwick Hall at UVM. This series, with its music, dancing, and dining, soon expanded to Rutland and Stowe, and lasted for 22 years. The dinners inspired recordings – Music for a Carol Dinner and Welcome Yule. The Choral Union also produced recordings featuring composers who lived and worked in Vermont during the years 1790-1810, including the works of Justin Morgan. Vermont Harmony, the resulting recordings and companion scores, culminated a decade of extensive research by Dr. Chapman.

 

Collaborations with other choral groups have included participation in the Vermont Sings for Peace concert, performances with the Bellows Free Academy Chorus directed by Armand Messier, with the Essex Children’s Choir directed by Constance Price, and with the Middlebury Community Chorus. The group was honored in 2014 to premiere new works by Vermont composers Dennis Báthory-Kitsz and Michael Close. The ensemble has received grants from Choral Arts New England, The Vermont Arts Council, The National Endowment for the Arts, and the Vermont Community Foundation. At the 50th anniversary in 2017, the Choral Union commissioned a new choral suite, Green and Gold, by Christina Whitten Thomas.

 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Choral Union organized Zoom talks by leading figures from the world of choral music, inviting other members of the Vermont music community to join. The first concert post-pandemic was the premiere of the appropriately titled Missa Pandemica (Mass in Time of Pandemic), composed by Maarten van Ryckevorsel, long-time Choral Union member.

 

The Choral Union’s newest music director, Eric Milnes, is committed to a choral repertoire featuring masters of the classical canon, as well as programming which features collaborations with instrumentalists of distinction, particularly in historically informed performance style presented with period instruments. His career has been centered on the nurturing and training of all collaborators to be more fluent in their technical musical skills and more dynamic in their artistic expression.