DIGITAL program
Thank you for being a part of the Houston Chamber Choir’s performance of Love Songs & Sonnets at South Main Baptist Church!
On this digital program you will find info about our organization as well as any additional information about this program, guest artists, staff, and more.
We’re so glad you are here!
Join the choir downstairs immediately following the concert for treats, door prizes, and special performances!
houston chamber choir is a professional ensemble dedicated to increasing the awareness, appreciation, and esteem of choral music and musicians through performance, outreach, and education.
Artistic leadership
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robert simpson
FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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betsy cook weber
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE
Welcome our guest conductor
Barnaby smith
Artistic Director | Voces8
Barnaby Smith is a Grammy-nominated conductor, countertenor, arranger, and artistic director of the vocal ensemble VOCES8 and its associated foundation. He leads various ensembles, digital festivals, and educational initiatives while maintaining an active international career in performance and recording.
His recent projects include conducting major orchestras such as the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Nederlandse ReisOpera, and English Chamber Orchestra, as well as directing notable performances at the Sydney Opera House and La Jolla Summerfest. He has collaborated with prominent artists like Eric Whitacre, Paul Simon, and Christopher Tin, and has conducted premieres of new choral and orchestral works.
Barnaby has performed at renowned venues worldwide, including the BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Tokyo Opera City. He has worked with leading orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, and Monte Carlo Symphony. His recording portfolio includes releases with Decca Classics, Universal, and Signum Classics, with multiple No.1 albums and award-winning projects.
Upcoming highlights include conducting at Festival Bach de Lausanne, premiering new choral commissions, and leading the VOCES8 Foundation’s 20th anniversary concert. His influence extends to radio, television, and digital platforms, making him a key figure in contemporary choral and classical music.
from darkness to light |
from darkness to light |
UP NEXT…
From darkness to light
south main baptist church
In 1638, Gregorio Allegri composed a setting of Miserere mei, Deus (Psalm 51) for the Sistine Chapel. The apocryphal story is that the Vatican allowed there to be only three copies in existence, and they were locked away for safe-keeping so that no one could copy or perform the work. Fast forward to 1764-65, when a young Mozart heard a performance of Allegri’s composition, went back to his inn, and flawlessly copied it from memory.
Fast forward again, this time to 1989, when Estonian composer Arvo Pärt set the same text. Pärt’s Miserere is described as one of his “most dramatic and contrasting pieces…” From these two pieces of darkness, we move to hope and light, working our way through a Latvian “Plaudite, Psallite” and American spirituals, including Thomas Dorsey’s “Precious Lord.” The concert closes with the gorgeous “Amazing Grace,” arranged by Ēriks Ešenvalds.