Choirs and Choruses

The North Central College Choral Program

The North Central College Choral Program comprises four choirs, each with their own unique musical style.

The North Central College Concert Choir and Chorale, directed by Dr. Ramona Wis, in collaboration with resident ensemble DuPage Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Barbara Schubert, performing Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, featuring Sarah Wolfson, soprano, Wentz Concert Hall.

Virtual Alma Mater

Members of the North Central College Choral Program, singing remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, combine to create a meaningful and heartfelt recording of the Alma Mater.

Click to Listen

Concert Choir

Housed in the state-of-the art Wentz Concert Hall on the North Central College campus, the Concert Choir has a long tradition of musical excellence, including performances with professional orchestras Chicago Sinfonietta at Symphony Center in Chicago (Mahler Symphony No. 2) and DuPage Symphony Orchestra at Wentz Concert Hall (Poulenc Gloria and Bernstein Chichester Psalms). Selected by audition, the 45-voice Concert Choir is comprised of students from states across the nation and multiple academic majors on campus and sings a wide variety of collegiate choral repertoire—from Lauridsen and Ešenvalds to Byrd and Brahms to American folk and new music and music of non-western cultures.

Performance Recordings
"Can We Sing the Darkness to Light?" by Kyle Pederson
Ramona Wis, conductor

"G od's Grandeur" by Daniel Brinsmead
Ramona Wis, conductor, Barbara Shiffler Vanderwall, accompanist

"Lullaby" by Daniel Elder
Ramona Wis, conductor, Barbara Shiffler Vanderwall, accompanist

"Brightest and Best" arranged by Shawn Kirchner
Ramona M. Wis, conductor, Barbara Shiffler Vanderwall, piano, Mara Gallagher, violin, Phillip Serna, bass

Chorale

The Chorale has earned a reputation for warm, expressive sound and innovative concert programming and staging. Members are first-years through seniors, are chosen by audition, and represent multiple academic majors and minors. The Chorale has sung with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, professional choruses Bella Voce and Vox Caelestis, and has toured Ireland, France, Germany, and Austria. Repertoire includes a wide variety of traditional and new music from western and non-western cultures, as well as commissioned pieces by Gwyneth Walker, James Mulholland, and James Falzone, written specifically for the North Central College Chorale. In 2019, the Chorale enjoyed its 25th anniversary with a tour to New York City, singing concerts at Cathedral of St. John the Divine and at Carnegie Hall. In the words of Dr. Tim Sharp, Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association, the Chorale at Carnegie Hall gave a “stunning performance” with “fresh programming” — “stellar!"

Performance Recordings
"Rise Up" by Jake Runestad
Ramona Wis, conductor

"Sing Creations Music On" by Stephen Paulus
Ramona Wis, conductor, Michael Scott Guilianni, accompanist

"Where Your Bare Foot Walks" by David Childs
Ramona Wis, conductor, Barbara Shiffler Vanderwall, accompanist

"Okro Mch'edelo" arranged by Carl Linich and Clayton Parr
Ramona Wis, conductor, Emily Mackesy, soloist

Cardinal Chorus

Cardinal Chorus is a campus-wide choral organization with members representing first-years through seniors and a variety of academic majors and minors. Dedicated to the study and performance of exemplary choral repertoire and the development of foundational choral and vocal skills such as sight-reading, tone color, choral diction, blend, and balance, Cardinal Chorus performs multiple on-campus concerts each year, as well as off-campus performances at venues such as Baker Memorial Church in St. Charles or Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago.

Performance Recordings
Watch and listen "Explore the Sound 2019"
"Muusica" by Pärt Uusberg

Chamber Singers

The most selective choir at North Central College, Chamber Singers is an 18-24 voice mixed ensemble chosen by audition and comprised of outstanding first-years through seniors from many academic majors and minors. “Chambers” programs the widest variety of collegiate choral repertoire, often performed without a conductor and sometimes staged theatrically in concert, such as “The Lamb” (Tavener), “Mamayog Akun” (Obispo), or “Stars” (Ešenvalds). Chambers presents multiple on- and off-campus performances each year and has had workshops with visiting composers Gwyneth Walker and Bob Chilcott of the King’s Singers.

Performance Recordings
“I’ll Be On My Way” by Shawn Kirchner
Watch and listen "Explore the Sound 2019"
Video: Benedicamus Domino
"Sing On!" by Gwyneth Walker