WHEN: July 16 - August 5 and December 9th - 22, 2023
WHERE: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale brings together top professional vocalists from across the nation to the Land of Enchantment every summer and winter. You’ll find there’s something for everyone in our varied concert programming and community events.
Phone: (505) 988-2282
Website: https://desertchorale.org/
Address: 311 East Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501 MAP
Hours:
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Tickets range from $20-$100 with discounts available for students.
Photo© Tira Howard
Photo © Tira Howard
Photo © Zina Jundi
Since its founding in 1982 by Larry Bandfield, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale has been one of the longest-standing professional choirs in the country. The Desert Chorale's professional artists gather from across the nation to perform in their annual Summer and Winter Festivals. Artistic Director Joshua Habermann, now in his fifteenth season, leads the Desert Chorale in repertoire spanning seven centuries, from early polyphony to contemporary works.
2023 Summer Festival: July 16-August 5
The Tudors and the Medici: This program highlights two great dynastic families of Europe whose patronage left an extraordinary imprint on the cultural landscape and brought to fruition some of the greatest artistic achievements of their time. Sixteen singers accompanied by early strings and organ will perform works by composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, and King Henry VIII himself. Come and experience compelling stories of political intrigue and extraordinary music interwoven in this tour of London, Florence, and beyond.
The American Immigrant Experience: The unique musical language of the United States is rooted in the songs brought to her shores by successive waves of immigrants. Listeners will embark on a musical journey that explores how their contributions have influenced and defined our country’s music and given us the rich tapestry of American song. This program will also feature the world premiere of a piece written especially for the Desert Chorale by the Grammy-nominated composer Kile Smith.
The Ecstasies Above: Our final program features two virtuosic works for strings and voices from English composers George Frideric Handel and Tarik O’Regan, whose Triptych the Chorale performed in 2017. First, Dixit Dominus showcases Handel as his most Italianate, with florid decoration and rhythmic drive. We then continue into O’Regan’s work, The Ecstasies Above, which is a setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “Israfel,” describing an angel whose “heart strings are a lute, and who possesses the sweetest voice of all God’s creatures.” A double string quartet and organ join the entire Desert Chorale for this masterful program.
2023 Winter Program: Candlelight Carols
In December, we invite you to join us for A Glimpse of Snow and Evergreen, our holiday concert filled with carols honoring the beauty of our winter mountain landscape and the traditions we keep at that special time of the year.
click website link for program and tickets.