Randall Thompson’s masterwork, The Peaceable Kingdom, is a collection of short, stirring motets that together set the words of the prophet Isaiah. Our performance of this American classic will interweave motets with continuo composed by some of Thompson’s musical idols, including J.S. Bach. The concert will conclude with Thompson’s celebrated Alleluia.
Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 8pm
The Church of the Holy Trinity
316 E 88th Street, NYC
The Manhattan Choral Ensemble’s annual choral music competition, New Music for New York, returned as we premiered this season’s three winning compositions in a program that also featured works by Randall Thompson, Gustav Holst, and more.
Saturday, March 8, 2025, 8pm
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music
450 West 37th Street (between 9th and 10th Ave), New York City
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| Robert S. Cohen (text by Ronald W. Cadmus) “Subway” |
Sally Fenley (text by Greene Fenley) “New York Parks” |
Felipe Segovia Sanhueza (text by Edna St. Vincent Millay) “Recuerdo” |
Join us as we journey to the Nordic lands where Saint Lucia brings light on the darkest days, and holiday markets sparkle in the cold with hygge!
The music of the five Nordic countries—Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland—will kindle the warmth of the season.
The MCE will present this program of charming regional carols and stately Latin church music in the cozy setting of the Trinity Baptist Church: the former First Swedish Baptist Church of New York.
Friday, December 6 at 8pm
Saturday, December 7 at 3pm
Trinity Baptist Church (250 E 61st Street)
Mark your calendars for the MCE’s exciting 2024-2025 season!
Friday, December 6th and Saturday, December 7th
A Nordic Christmas
Join us as we celebrate the season with music from the Nordic countries, including sublime choral works and charming traditional carols from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.
Saturday, March 8th
New Music For New York
Our annual emerging composer competition paired with choral favorites in the stunning DiMenna Center
Saturday, May 10th
The Peaceable Kingdom
We will close the season with Randall Thompson’s choral masterpiece, The Peaceable Kingdom, alongside Baroque works for chorus and continuo, including Bach’s radiant Lobet den Herrn.
Interested in auditioning and singing with us? Click here
Sojourn to golden-age Spain and revel in Tomás Luis de Victoria’s masterwork. Considered a “requiem for an age”—the pinnacle of Spain’s Renaissance period—this mass was composed on the death of Holy Roman Empress Mariá in Madrid. Victoria, one of her personal chaplains, received the duty of arranging music for her funeral. Composed in 1603, Victoria’s requiem is known for its expressive polyphony.
Sat, May 18, 8pm
Church of the Blessed Sacrament
152 W 71st St, New York, NY 10023
The Manhattan Choral Ensemble seeks submissions from composers living within 50 miles of New York City to submit a short (2.5 – 3 minutes) a cappella work for SATB chorus that evokes life in New York City. The work should be a new composition that has not yet been premiered. Works should require approximately three hours of rehearsal to prepare for performance and should not contain individual solos. Click here for examples of the level of difficulty of previous compositions.
We welcome using texts written by living writers. It is the responsibility of the composer to secure permission to use any texts not in the public domain. Previous winners are ineligible. Only one submission per composer.
Three winners will be chosen by a committee comprising MCE Director Thomas Cunningham and Artistic Advisors, George Andoniadis and Rich Campbell. Each winner will receive a $750 award and a performance by the Manhattan Choral Ensemble at its Feb 24, 2024, concert at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music. Prior to the performance, the composers will be asked to attend a rehearsal to discuss their piece with the choir. Additionally, one work will be voted on by the audience for an additional award on the night of the performance. The composer of the chosen work will receive an additional $750. Submissions must be received by December 15, 2023. Electronic submissions are acceptable. There is no fee to apply. Submissions should be emailed to info@mce.nyc or (if not possible to send electronically) mailed to:
Manhattan Choral Ensemble
PO Box 3852
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163-3852
Savor the richness of Ukraine’s choral history featuring works by Berezovsky, Diletsky, Bortniansky, and Aleksiychuk. You’ll hear a variety of music appropriate to the season: large choral pieces and traditional carols. We will close with perennial favorite “Carol of the Bells” by Mykola Leontovych.
Fri, Dec 8, 8:30pm
Sun, Dec 10, 2:30pm
St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church
30 East 7th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenue)
New York City
Mark your calendars for the MCE’s exciting 2023-2024 season!
Friday, December 8th and Sunday, December 10th
A Ukrainian Christmas
Savor the richness of Ukraine’s choral history featuring works by Berezovsky, Diletsky, Bortniansky, and Aleksiychuk. You’ll hear a variety of music appropriate to the season: large choral pieces and traditional carols. We will close with perennial favorite “Carol of the Bells” by Mykola Leontovych.
Saturday, February 24th
New Music For New York
Our annual emerging composer competition paired with choral favorites in the stunning DiMenna Center
Saturday, May 18th
The Victoria Requiem
Our season closer will be a Renaissance masterwork, the Officium Defunctorum of 1605 by Tomas Luis de Victoria
Interested in auditioning and singing with us? Click here
By purchasing tickets and attending a Manhattan Choral Ensemble performance, I agree to comply with all health and safety protocols implemented by the Manhattan Choral Ensemble and their host venue based on applicable federal, state, and local rules and guidelines, and I agree that:
The Manhattan Choral Ensemble cannot guarantee that I will not be exposed to and contract COVID-19 or other contagious diseases, and all those entering the performance space do so at their own risk. I accept the risk of being exposed to, contracting, or spreading COVID-19 or other contagious diseases along with all related consequences. I agree that this waiver means I give up my right to bring any claims, including but not limited to claims of negligence. Admission to any Manhattan Choral Ensemble event is conditioned on compliance with health and safety protocols. Visitors who do not follow applicable safety protocols may be asked to leave the premises.
Said safety protocols include, but are not limited to, the following: All audience members age 5 and up are required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization to enter the performance space. While inside the performance space, all audience members must wear a properly fitting mask over their nose and mouth. Eating and drinking in the performance space is not permitted.
The Manhattan Choral Ensemble artists, staff, and visitors have the right to an environment free from abusive, threatening, or inappropriate behavior. The Manhattan Choral Ensemble reserves the right to remove any person acting in an unacceptable or inappropriate manner.
This contract will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
Click here to AGREE to the waiver and return to purchase tickets.
Calling all NYC-area composers – we want your submissions to the Manhattan Choral Ensemble’s signature composition contest. Details »
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Folks,
As promised…
Dave
