Oregon Repertory Singers
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Repertory Singers (ORS) is a mixed vocal ensemble in Portland
, Oregon
, founded in 1974. The choir performs a wide range of works from all time periods and languages, although over the years a special emphasis has been placed on contemporary music of the Americas.
to record new American music. These recordings include
Other ORS recordings include a compact disc of Rachmaninoff's Vespers with members of the Moscow State Chamber Choir under Vladimir Minin.
In 1995 ORS was included, along with Chanticleer
and The King's Singers, in a compact disc Christmas Around the Country, which was distributed nationally by National Public Radio. An excerpt from the 1995 Glory of Christmas concert broadcast broadcast on NPR's Performance Today
was so well-received that two hour-long specials on ORS followed.
.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, founded in 1974. The choir performs a wide range of works from all time periods and languages, although over the years a special emphasis has been placed on contemporary music of the Americas.
Recordings
Since 1980, ORS has commissioned and/or debuted 20 new works by American artists. In October 1988, ORS completed a four compact disc contract with Koch International ClassicsKoch Entertainment
Koch Entertainment was a music, film and television distribution company. It was purchased by E1 Entertainment in 2005 and now operates under the name E1 Entertainment.-History:The company began in 1975 as Koch International...
to record new American music. These recordings include
- Berliner MesseBerliner MesseBerliner Messe is a mass setting by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. It was originally written for SATB soloists and organ in 1990, and was later revised for chorus and strings...
by Arvo PärtArvo PärtArvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
and Mass to St. Anthony by Lou HarrisonLou HarrisonLou Silver Harrison was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison... - Missa Gaia by Libby LarsenLibby LarsenLibby Larsen is one of America’s most performed living composers. She has created a catalogue of over 400 works spanning virtually every genre from intimate vocal and chamber music to massive orchestral works and over fifteen operas...
and Echoes Between the Silent Peaks by Stephen PaulusStephen PaulusStephen Paulus is an American composer, best known for his operas and choral music. His best-known piece is his 1982 opera The Postman Always Rings Twice, one of several operas he has written for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, which prompted The New York Times to call him "a young man on the road... - A collection of holiday music called The Glory of Christmas
- Fern HillFern HillFern Hill is a poem by Dylan Thomas, first published in the October, 1945, Horizon magazine, with its first book publication as the last poem in Deaths and Entrances...
by John CoriglianoJohn CoriglianoJohn Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
Other ORS recordings include a compact disc of Rachmaninoff's Vespers with members of the Moscow State Chamber Choir under Vladimir Minin.
In 1995 ORS was included, along with Chanticleer
Chanticleer
- Fiction :*A rooster appearing in fables about Reynard The Fox**The Nun's Priest's Tale, a version of Chanticleer and the Fox told in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales**By metonymy, any rooster**A character in the movie Rock-a-Doodle played by Glen Campbell...
and The King's Singers, in a compact disc Christmas Around the Country, which was distributed nationally by National Public Radio. An excerpt from the 1995 Glory of Christmas concert broadcast broadcast on NPR's Performance Today
Performance Today
Performance Today is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio show, currently hosted by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million listeners on 237 stations...
was so well-received that two hour-long specials on ORS followed.
Directors
In April 2011, it was announced that following the retirement of thirty-five year veteran artistic director Gil Seeley, the ensemble would be headed by Ethan Sperry, Director of Choral Activities at Portland State UniversityPortland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
.