2019 Concerts
St. Paul's Chapel, Broadway and Fulton Street
April 28, 2019 at 3pm
Antonín Dvořák Mass in D Major
Downtown Voices; Stephen Sands, conductor
Free
Downtown Voices’ April concert presents the opportunity to hear rarely performed works by Dvořák, Britten, and Janáček. The centerpiece of the concert is Dvořák’s stunning hidden gem Mass in D Major, performed according to the original arrangement for organ and mixed choir. The mass is complemented by Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecelia and Janáček’s Otce Nash. The concert features soloists from The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and organist Janet Yieh on St. Paul’s celebrated organ.
June 16, 2019 at 3pm
Carl Orff Carmina Burana
Downtown Voices; NOVUS NY; Stephen Sands, conductor
Free
At their final concert of the season, Downtown Voices and NOVUS NY perform two folklore-inspired works written in 1937: Orff’s epic Carmina Burana and Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. Carmina Burana is based on 24 poems from the medieval collection of the same title, with themes that follow the fickleness of fortune and joy as spring returns. Inspired by Hungarian folksong rhythms, Bartok’s sonata has become a mainstay of piano and percussion repertoire.
Downtown Voices first performed at Trinity Church on December 27, 2015, as part of Trinity's annual Twelfth Night Festival.
About
Praised by the New York Times for its “incisive, agile strength,” Downtown Voices is a semiprofessional choir made up of volunteer singers from the New York metro area and members of the Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Directed by Stephen Sands, Downtown Voices has performed works by Anton Webern, Alberto Ginastera, Benjamin Britten, Johannes Brahms, Leonard Bernstein, Philip Glass, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and a large-scale commission for the 250th anniversary of St. Paul’s Chapel, Spire and Shadow, by Zachary Wadsworth.
Watch Recent Concerts
December 22, 2018
Community Carol Sing
Watch Concert
November 30, 2018
Voices over Tallinn: Celebrating 100 Years of Estonian Music
Watch Concert
June 2, 2018
TOTAL EMBRACE FINALE: Leonard Bernstein at 100
Watch Concert
March 11, 2018
Masterworks for Double Choir
Watch Concert
December 21, 2017
Christmas Concert and Community Carol Sing
Watch Concert
November 12, 2017
Rachmaninoff Vespers - November 12
Watch Concert
November 10, 2017
Rachmaninoff Vespers
Watch Concert
May 20, 2017
Philip Glass Symphony No. 5
Watch Concert
April 8, 2017
Handel’s Israel in Egypt
Watch Concert
January 11, 2017
Zachary Wadsworth’s commission, Spire and Shadow, for the 250th Anniversary of St Paul’s Chapel
Watch Concert
October 23, 2016
October Garden by Julian Wachner and Morten Lauridsen’s Midwinter Songs
Watch Concert
Join Downtown Voices
Auditions
Downtown Voices is always looking for high-level volunteer singers. If you are interested in auditioning, please fill out the form below and you will be contacted with further instructions. All applicants are required to submit a video sample of their singing, and after a screening process takes place, successful applicants will be invited back to audition in person. These auditions will include sight-reading from a four-part hymn and singing a prepared choral piece, as well as performing an aria of your choice.
Rehearsals
Downtown Voices will rehearse on Wednesday evenings, 6:30–9pm, from September through May in Lower Manhattan. Choir members must attend at least 80% of rehearsals, and are required to attend all dress rehearsals and concerts. Please contact the Chorus Manager (see below) if you have questions.
Contact
If you would like information about Downtown Voices, please contact Chorus Manager Steven Hrycelak at shrycelak@trinitywallstreet.org.
Apply Here to Audition
Please fill out this form to receive further instructions about the audition process, which will require you to submit a link to a video of your singing.
Learn More
Learn more about Downtown Voices
Testimonials from Downtown Voices Singers
“Downtown Voices is the group I've been looking for for years -- one in which I feel challenged without feeling left behind. Every rehearsal with the Trinity professionals is like a master class.”
“The collaboration with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching aspect of being in this group. It's amazing to have the opportunity to sing alongside some of the most talented and accomplished choral singers in New York City.”
“The repertoire performed by Downtown Voices has been incredibly fulfilling for me to sing. It is challenging, diverse, exciting, and innovative. The performance quality and collaboration opportunities with Trinity's instrumental ensembles are outstanding. Being able to rehearse in Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel has been inspiring and extremely rewarding, especially having grown up visiting and admiring these two spaces. I could not be more grateful or happy to be a part of Downtown Voices.”
“After graduating from college and joining the rest of corporate America working for a big four accounting firm, I felt a void in my heart where music used to be. I was surrounded by music all growing up and through college where I participated heavily in my college's conservatory programs. Once I graduated, though, I had no outlets to continue my music education and follow my passion of singing… I auditioned for several groups, and nothing seemed quite right. Some programs were too intense for someone who was also a full time working professional, and some programs were too relaxed, where the music wasn't challenging enough and left me wanting more.
Then, I heard about Downtown Voices. Not only did I get to perform in arguably one of the most beautiful places in NYC, but I also get to sing alongside incredibly talented musicians who impress me every day and challenge me to be the best vocalist I can be. I get to experience all of this while having fun and singing music that give me chills every time we perform. What a thrill and honor it is to be a part of such a wonderful music community.”