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Read about the Chapel Choir Reunion - registration closes September 1!
The Duke University Chapel Choir is one of the nation’s
largest and most active university choirs. A “town and
gown” group, its 150 members include students, faculty,
staff, and other singers from the Duke and Durham communities.
The choir is led by Rodney Wynkoop, Director of Chapel Music,
assisted by Assistant Conductor Allan Friedman, and the accompanist
is Chapel Organist David Arcus. The Chapel Choir, along with
the 36-voice Schola Cantorum, sings anthems and leads the congregation
in hymns in the Sunday worship services and various other Chapel
services. It also presents two major concerts with professional
orchestra each year. The choir’s annual performances
of Handel’s Messiah, a tradition since 1932, pack the
Chapel each December. The Spring Oratorio concerts feature
other major choral works, from Bach to modern masterpieces.
The Chapel Choir is best known for its well-attended and critically
praised annual performances of Handel’s Messiah. But
the choir has performed many other major choral works with
professional orchestra; in recent seasons, its diverse repertoire
has included Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Duruflé’s
Requiem, Lauridsen’s Lux Æterna, Fanshawe’s
African Sanctus, Mozart’s Requiem, Tchaikovsky’s
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Poulenc’s Gloria, and
Vaughan Williams’s Dona nobis pacem.
The Chapel Choir has toured domestically, performing at such
prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine, and Washington National Cathedral. International
tours have taken the choir to Poland and the Czech Republic,
England, and China. The trip to England culminated in a performance
of Handel’s Messiah at London’s St. Martin-in-the-Fields,
with members of the English Festival Orchestra.
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Listen
To download selected performances from the Chapel choir,
visit Duke's ITunesU
site, and navigate to the Chapel group
under
the Religion heading.
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Join
Like to sing? The Chapel Choir is open by audition to
any Duke student or member of the community. You can learn
more on our auditions page.
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Rehearsal Schedule
The Chapel Choir rehearses weekly on Sunday
mornings from 9:15 to 10:30 and Wednesday evenings from
6:00 to 7:50. You can also view our academic
year schedule.
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Schola Cantorum
The Schola Cantorum, a 36-voice chamber choir
from within the Chapel Choir, sings occasional anthems
in the Sunday services.
Rehearsals are scheduled as needed, and the repertoire
consists largely of Renaissance motets.
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