Houston Chamber Choir to Present THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND at Miller Outdoor Theatre
The Grammy Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir, led by Robert Simpson, is back at Miller Outdoor Theatre for the first time since 2019 presenting "This Land Is Your Land" as the second performance of its 2022-2023 season. The concert on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7:30pm is free and open to the public at Houston's iconic outdoor performance space in Hermann Park. The Choir missed 2020 and 2021 Miller Outdoor Theatre performances due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Historian Jon Meacham and singer/songwriter Tim McGraw remind us in their book, Songs of America, that the history of the United States- its struggles, politics, and successes -is embedded in our nation's folksongs. From Pre-Revolutionary calls for independence, to spirituals, Depression-era laments, and songs of protest, the Houston Chamber Choir will dramatically bring the voice of American history to the stage of Miller Outdoor Theatre.
Audiences will hear great American folksongs and spirituals like Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," "Wade in the Water," arranged by Moses Hogan, sing-alongs including "Blowin' in the Wind,' "If I had a Hammer," and "America...the Dream Goes On" by "Star Wars" composer, John Williams.
The professional singers of the Houston Chamber Choir will perform "This Land Is Your Land" under the direction of Simpson, the founder and artistic director of the Choir, now in its 28th season.
NOTE: You may bring outside food and beverages, including alcohol, to Miller Outdoor Theatre. However, no glass containers are allowed. Concession stands will be open, with only credit cards accepted.
Parking is free; outdoor seating is first come, first served.
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About Houston Chamber Choir
Led by Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson, the Houston Chamber Choir is a Grammy Award-winning ensemble of 24 professional musicians selected from the finest choral artists in our region. "One of the jewels of the city's cultural scene" (Houston Chronicle), the Houston Chamber Choir has brought Houston an array of choral works for 26 years ranging from early music and Baroque masterpieces, including the city's first period instrument performance of Bach's B Minor Mass, to the rarely heard Third Sacred Concert by Duke Ellington, and performances and premieres of works by today's leading composers, many with Houston ties - David Ashley White, Christopher Theofanidis, Dominick DiOrio, J. Todd Frazier, Mark Buller, Karim Al-Zand, Pierre Jalbert, Marcus Maroney, and Daniel Knaggs.
The Houston Chamber Choir's awards include Chorus America's Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and the American Prize. They were one of 24 international ensembles selected to appear at the 2020 World Symposium on Choral Music in New Zealand. The Houston Chamber Choir has appeared at national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, and Chorus America. Tours have taken them to Mexico, Wales, and the Northeastern United States where they performed at Trinity Church, Wall Street in New York City, and Yale University at the invitation of the Institute of Sacred Music.
The Houston Chamber Choir's recording of the complete choral works of French composer Maurice Duruflé was awarded the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance. In January 2022, Signum Classics released its newest recording of compositions by acclaimed British composer Bob Chilcott. For this recording, the Houston Chamber Choir is joined by the Treble Choir of Houston directed by Marianna Parnas-Simpson. The title work, Circlesong, is a 13-movement composition for two choirs, two pianos, and percussion based on indigenous poetry of North America.