Audition Notice! For Crescendo’s 2026-2027 Choral Season
Are you a choral singer looking for an extraordinary musical experience?
Auditions are now open for Crescendo’s 23rd Season (2026-2027)!
Step into the world of Historically Informed Performance (HIP) under the direction of Christine Gevert. This season offers the unique opportunity to perform grand textures and rare historical treasures alongside expert early music specialists and period instrument orchestras.
Schedule an appointment for an audition by emailing Artistic Director Christine Gevert at christine@crescendomusic.org.
Our 2026–2027 Choral Projects:
FALL: Galant Fire – Striking, theatrical Baroque textures from Venice and Naples (Vivaldi, Lotti, Leo, Galuppi) with period strings.
HOLIDAY: A Celtic Wintertide – Enchanting Renaissance polyphony met with rustic Irish and Scottish folk carols, early recorders, and Celtic harp.
SPRING: Sovereign Grandeur – Triumphant, late 17th-century London spectacles by Henry Purcell and John Blow with a full period orchestra.
Where: Most Rehearsals take place in Lakeville/Salisbury, CT. Concerts are in Salisbury/Lakeville, CT, Great Barrington, MA areas.
When: Fall rehearsals start on September 7, 2026. Season Opening Gathering and Audition Date: August 31, 2026
Openings: All voice parts, including professional section leaders. Secure your audition spot today!
Upcoming Programs: Crescendo’s 23rd SEASON 2026-2027
FALL CHORAL: Galant Fire—Masterpieces of Venice and Naples
Sacred Italian Baroque Works by Antonio Vivaldi, Leonardo Leo, Antonio Lotti, Baldassare Galuppi, and instrumental works by A. Vivaldi, Antonio Caldara, Francesco Durante.
October 31 & November 1, 2026 Great Barrington, MA & Lakeville, CT
CHAMBER HOLIDAY: The First Spark: Early Celtic & British Airs for the Winter Gateway
An Early Holiday Concert for Chamber Ensemble and Voice
Airs and Dances for voice, recorder, virginal and organ by William Byrd, Thobias Hume, John Attey, John Dowland, Thomas Campion, and from English, Irish and Scottish 16th & 17th century collections.
Zoe Vandermeer, celtic harp and voice | Tricia van Oers, recorder | Christine Gevert, virginal & organ
December 3 & 4, 2026 Great Barrington, MA & Lakeville/Salisbury, CT
CHORAL HOLIDAY: A Celtic Wintertide—Echoes of an Early Yuletide
Early Holiday Music from the British Isles and Ireland. Byrd, Playford, Ravenscroft, and Scottish, English and Irish Carols arranged for Chorus.
December 17 & 18, and 26 & 27, 2026 Great Barrington, MA, Lakeville/Salisbury, CT
CHAMBER MUSIC: The Parisian Confluence
Marin Marais: Suite I in C, G. P. Telemann: Paris Quartet No. 1 in G & Paris Quartet No. 12 in E minor, J. S. Bach: Trio Sonata from The Musical Offering
Edson Scheid, baroque violin | Rodrigo Tarraz, traverso | Robert Eisenstein, viola da gamba | Christine Gevert, harpsichord
March 20 & 21, 2027 Great Barrington, MA & Lakeville, CT
CHORAL SPRING: Sovereign Grandeur: A Triumphant Intertwining of the Purcell “Brothers”, Blow, Weldon, and Eccles
John Blow’s God Spake Sometime in Visions, Henry Purcell’s “See Nature Rejoicing” from Come Ye Sons of Art, and excerpts of Daniel Purcell’s, John Weldon’s and John Eccles’s The Judgment of Paris, 1701
April 24 & 25, 2027 Great Barrington, MA & Lakeville, CT
SOLO RECITAL: Forgotten Voices: Keyboard Music by Early Female Composers of Convents and Courts
Early keyboard works by Italian, English and French organists and harpischordists Gracia Baptista, Raffaella Aleotti, Caterina Assandra, Claudia Rusca, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre and Elisabetta de Gambarini
Christine Gevert organ, virginal, harpsichord
June 12, 2027 Lakeville/Salisbury, CT
THE B MINOR MASS – Johann Sebastian Bach as The Architect of Gratitude
Stay tuned for recordings of the five talks and workshops that took place in July and August 2026.
The sessions uncovered some of the hidden secrets of J.S. Bach’s ultimate masterpiece. This five-part series was presented and led by Crescendo’s Founding Artistic Director Christine Gevert. The sessions explored the political intrigue, mathematical codes, and brilliant upcycling that turned this monumental work into a bridge to eternity. 40 Choral singers participated in practical masterclass workshops, applying historical performance practice selected excerpts from the Mass in B minor.
Program:
Talk 1: The “Missa” as a Career Move
Talk 2: The Art of the “Upcycle” (Parody Technique)
Talk 3: The “Symbolum Nicenum” (The Credo)
Talk 4: Styles in Collision (From Renaissance to Galant)
Talk 5: The Final Folder (Sanctus / Agnus Dei) and the Quest for Peace
Choral Singers Workshop 1: Kyrie
Choral Singers Workshop 2: Gloria
Choral Singers Workshop 3: Credo (part 1)
Choral Singers Workshop 4: Credo (part 2)
Choral Singers Workshop 5: Sanctus – Dona nobis pacem
Crescendo At Home
Virtual Concerts On-Demand NOW
Latest recordings:
Recorded: May 11, 2025
Body & Soul: Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione
Recorded: December 29, 2024
Bach-Circle: Christmas Oratorios and Contemporary Female Voices
Recorded: October 6, 2024
Nature in Vivaldi’s Sounds: Concertos for Violin, Flute, and Two Mandolins
Now you can watch Crescendo’s concerts at home at any time with our virtual concert portal – Crescendo at Home!
We want to keep choral and baroque music experiences alive not only during the pandemic, but also for your pleasure, comfort and for anyone who is not able to attend concerts in person.
Recorded in high quality audio by former Carnegie Hall engineer Leszek Wojcik, and filmed in high definition by Charlette Media Productions, we offer you an experience that is similar to being there in person. It even brings you closer to the performers than you ever would in a live concert.
Watch, and share with your family and friends! Subscribe to our e-Newsletter for news on upcoming Crescendo at Home programming.
These concerts have been made possible in part with support from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.
