Composer Nicholas Weininger offers his first major work Hakol Hevel, or All is Mere Breath examining the relationship between forced isolation and how we as human beings bring about either our collective freedom or captivity. A deep and complex 10-movement work with a chamber orchestra and oratorio soloists, it is the first new choral/orchestral piece for a men’s chorus we’ve seen in a long time. We’re thrilled to have the privilege of bringing it to life and sharing it with our audiences. Weininger’s carefully considered texts juxtapose Hebrew with English translations from the Torah by the important translator, Robert Alter, forming a narrative arc. The piece makes an impassioned plea for us to embrace humility, reject divisiveness, and come back into the light.
TICKETS AVAILABLE IN FEBRUARY
Photo by Scott Brown
ECMC welcomes our beloved listeners to our 29th season, “How to Sing Like A Planet.” Throughout this contemplative and revelatory season of tenor & bass choral music, our singers examine the space between us as tiny humans vs. the vastness of the universe. From the exploration of the night sky to the quietness amid the chaos of a bustling city, we’ll take you on a journey of mindfulness and awareness of each present moment. Together, we’ll examine our place and roles in today’s ever-changing world. What exactly is our social responsibility, and what are we doing to listen to each other and take care of those around us?
A three-concert series, this season will feature the world-premiere and recording of a new work by composer Nicholas Weininger called Hakol Hevel for TB choir and chamber orchestra in March of 2023 - a limited engagement intermezzo performance rarely done by ECMC during the course of a season.
Experience warm and thoughtful work by many other composers as well, including Orlando di Lasso, Joseph Gregorio, William Mathias, Theodore Morrison, Elizabeth Alexander, Saunder Choi, and new TB voicings of work by our Artistic Director, Vince Peterson.
Join us for this unforgettable and uplifting season as we sing to the power of humanity to renew and revive.
We're very pleased to announce the return of our great subscription service (now migrated from Patreon directly to our own website). During the pandemic, many of our beloved patrons supported us on Patreon and we've been working on a way to bring that great content to you right here at ecmc.nyc. Subscriptions are available at two levels: $10 or $20 per month and you can read all about them on our Subscription Page. We can't wait for you to join our inner circle of trust and to help make ECMC better and better with each passing season!
These videos were recorded in early 2020 at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, much was scientifically unknown about the disease. Our chorus felt there was a similarity to the confusion and turmoil of the AIDS crisis and that there were wisdom to be had from our members who had lived through that cirsis.
When the Gay Gotham Chorus was founded in 1993, AIDS was fast approaching the height of its rampant killing spree in New York. Part of the mission of the organization from the start was to donate a percentage of profits from concert performances to the relief efforts and research funds against this terrible disease. All the while, the LGBTQA+ community endured horrific media and general public scrutiny. Politics and religion interfered in the quest for human empathy and helping others. Today, it would seem that we still haven't learned our lesson in society. In this short video series, brave members of ECMC, past and present, share their direct personal experiences of crisis and the wisdom they learned during the horrible AIDS epidemic of the 80s and 90s that took the lives of thousands of New Yorkers including partners and friends of our members. Our hope in creating this video outreach series is not only to show the inspiring resilience of these wonderful human beings, but to demonstrate a tangible way in which members of the LGBTQA+ community can be helpful and supportive to society at large. Listen to the messages of these brave men.