Press Releases

May 31 Chorus Concert Features Music, Art & Poetry on Life, Love & Nature

April 29, 2025 – Washington, DC – Summer in DC will be welcomed with a captivating chorus concert by Washington Men's Camerata. Titled Seasons, it traverses the changing tides of time through folk songs, lieder, madrigals, and more. Saturday May 31 at 8pm at First UCC DC / Live! At 10th & G, Washington, DC. Hear the blossoming melodies of spring and warm harmonies of summer—the reflective tones of autumn and crystalline notes of winter—all through music of Vaughan Williams, Schubert, Hindemith, and Morley; plus contemporary composers like Augusta Read Thomas whose song, "The Rewaking," masterfully sets the poetry of William Carlos Williams.

“Thomas is one of the most gifted and sought-after composers of the 21st century,” says Artistic Director Scott Tucker, who commissioned the piece in 2005. “It’s typical of her style that the music is delicate and transparent in texture; with its imagery, something miraculously beautiful has the opportunity to emerge.”

Poetry, art, and music are wonderfully intertwined in this concert, showcasing song, visual artworks, and spoken word. The Camerata has issued a call to artists and poets to submit their seasons-themed works that reflect the varied stages of nature, love, and life, to be shared at the performance. Other modern, US composers in this concert who set poetry to music are Stephen Paulus with Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?”; Morten Lauridsen with James Agee’s “Sure on This Shining Night”; and Robert Young with Tennyson’s “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal.” Young writes that “Tennyson seems to visualize an English garden at twilight and thinks upon the one he loves. References to the gold fin and fire-fly suggest a beautiful serenity, and the closing lines couple the sweetness of the lily with thoughts of his beloved.”

Romantic-era, German composer Felix Mendelssohn awakens the words of his compatriot Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in “Sommerlied” (Summer Song). Also adapted by German writers is “Gaudeamus igitur” (Latin for “So Let Us Rejoice”). Known as a graduation hymn, it touches on the profound sentiment of carpe diem (seize the day), which sets the stage for this concert. As part of the overarching theme, “many texts probe below the surface to the metaphorical treatment of the passage of time and its bearing on our mortality,” says Tucker. He declares, “Paul Hindemith is probably one of the most underrated composers of the 20th century. His ‘Erste Schnee’ sets a poem invoking the cool of winter as a hope for renewal, written in 1939 after he fled to Switzerland to evade the Nazis. Soon after, he emigrated to the US where he became a music professor at Yale and wrote influential books on understanding and interpreting music.”

Managing Director Jonathon Hampton shares that Camerata members are proud to be part of an arts cohort that supports the needs of its community. “That’s why we’ve made our concerts free to all students and now, during these difficult times, to unemployed civil servants. Music is for everyone, and we want to be sure it’s accessible to all, especially those most in need of its soothing benefits and uplifting powers.”

Washington Men’s Camerata presents SEASONS. May 31 at 8pm at Live! at 10th & G / First UCC DC, 945 G St NW, Washington, DC. Free student and community access tickets for unemployed civil servants, otherwise $35 or 4 for $95, available at the door or camerata.com

March 22 Chorus Concert Features French Favorites & Six Generations of Singers

February 14, 2025 (Washington, DC) – Spring in DC will be welcomed with a captivating concert by Washington Men's Camerata, featuring the Young Men’s Ensemble of the Children’s Chorus of Washington, performing French music and compositions by students of the legendary composer Nadia Boulanger. The tenor and bass singers will exhibit the evocative beauty of French masters Gabriel Fauré, Francis Poulenc, Vincent d'Indy, Charles Gounod, and Maurice Duruflé. Plus, they’ll showcase the innovative spirit of Boulanger’s pupils Darius Milhaud, Aaron Copland, David Conte, and Elliott Carter.

The Camerata’s Artistic Director Scott Tucker shares, “I've always been drawn to French choral music from the 19th and early 20th centuries, but an entire program of it can feel overwhelming, like indulging in a meal of only desserts. To provide balance I sought a contrast with works by American composers who studied with the renowned Nadia Boulanger.”

One such piece is The Defense of Corinth, a tenor-bass behemoth of nearly 15 minutes that Tucker has been eager to explore. He says, “I love its lively piano scoring, intricate vocal rhythms, and the alliterations in its text. The humorous story it tells adds a playful charm: Diogenes furiously bangs on his tub to prove to the Corinthians, who were preparing for war, that he was not lazy.” Elliott Carter, who remarkably lived 1908 to 2012, was commissioned by G. Wallace Woodworth to write the piece for the Harvard Glee Club in 1941.

Like Carter, David Conte studied under Nadia Boulanger. His piece Crossing the Bar, commissioned by the Cornell University Glee Club, holds special significance for Tucker who had the honor of conducting its premiere. Now it will be performed under the direction of the gifted Associate Director Julie Huang Tucker. She recalls, “It was an important musical touchstone for me when my mom passed away, in the way a song becomes meaningful to you because of how and when it entered your life.” She’s moved by the text, a poem by Tennyson, and its comparison of life to a journey at sea, with death simply a passage over the horizon.

Conte's extended harmonic language in this piece evokes a connection to the French tradition while introducing a distinctly American strength and directness. French music from the Romantic to Modern era is known for its atmospheric quality, where timbre often takes precedence over form, with an ethereal quality that’s both intellectual and sensual, creating a unique sonic experience.

The men’s choral sound has a unique beauty that resonates deeply with listeners, singers, and conductors. Scott Tucker reflects, “Throughout my 17 years at Cornell, and now with the Camerata, I've felt a responsibility to inspire and support young men in choral singing. After the voice change, the male voice can be vulnerable, plus society often imposes a stigma on young men who love to sing. It’s my mission to ensure that every youngster and veteran who cherishes singing has the opportunity to pursue it. That's why I'm so pleased that the Young Men's Ensemble (YME) of the Children's Chorus of Washington is performing with us.” YME will sing the traditional US folk song Cindy, under the direction of Don Cotton. Both ensembles join forces on the macaronic Vive L’Amour, plus the rousing Choeur des Soldats (Soldiers' Chorus) from Gounod’s Faust.

Hear Washington Men’s Camerata and the Young Men’s Ensemble for the Children’s Chorus of Washington in Pardon Our French! March 22 at 8pm at First UCC DC / Live! at 10th & G, 945 G St NW, Washington, DC. Camerata concerts are free to all students, otherwise tickets are $35 or four for $95, at the door or camerata.com

DC Chorus Welcomes New Directors & Plans Expanded Community Involvement & Educational Outreach

December 10, 2024 (Washington, DC) – Under new leadership, Washington Men's Camerata enters its 40th year aiming to strengthen the DMV area's deep choral roots with unique performances, expanded education initiatives, and fresh artistic vision. Renowned conductor Scott Tucker takes the helm as Artistic Director saying, "My vision for the Camerata is guided by two goals: nurturing a culture of continuous improvement and expanding our footprint."

The season prominently highlights women as featured composers, instrumentalists, and on the podium. Newly appointed Associate Director Julie Huang Tucker co-conducts and accompanies on piano and organ. The season's first concerts are December 14 and 15. Noel! Christmas with the Camerata includes holiday music from baroque to modern, showcasing works by female composers Rosephanye Powell, Terre Roche, Elaine Hagenberg, and Naomi LaViolette. Julie Huang Tucker is music director at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington and has performed as an organist at The Kennedy Center, Strathmore, and Washington National Cathedral with National Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Choral Arts, and Washington Chorus. In addition to singing with and accompanying Washington Douglass Chorale, she's a WETA Classical host and is pursuing a Doctorate of Music Arts in choral conducting at University of Maryland.

Scott Tucker has prepared choruses for many of the best-known orchestral conductors in the world, including Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel, Christoph Eschenbach, Joanne Falletta, Erich Leinsdorf, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, among others. He's Co-Artistic Director of Washington Douglass Chorale, Cornell University Professor Emeritus, Choral Arts Director Emeritus, and was Washington Men's Camerata's Interim Music Director before being appointed Artistic Director. With that wealth of experience, the conductors strive to help each singer achieve their best possible vocal technique and musical skill, and to attract high-quality volunteer singers with a healthy mix of youth and experience. Prospective new singers are welcome at open houses and auditions in December, March, May, and July.

Working on improving their reach across the DMV area, Scott Tucker says he's eager to "collaborate with orchestras, bands, other choruses, soloists, non-western ensembles, dancers, poets, scientists, filmmakers, architects, and beyond." The Camerata recently joined Washington Commanders Marching Band to record the new rendition of the football fight song, Hail to the Commanders. December 16-19 they'll bring the holiday spirit, caroling at 1789 Restaurant and Fitzgeralds. In March 2025, the Young Men's Ensemble of Children's Chorus of Washington joins them for workshops and a performance around their concert program, Pardon Our French, including music from students of the legendary Nadia Boulanger. In May 2025, their concert, Seasons, reflects the changing tides of time and stages of love and life. A new sort of homecoming tradition, their Summer Sing welcomes vocalists of all ages and walks of life for a day of workshops combining soprano, alto, tenor, and bass singers, in collaboration with American Youth Chorus. All their concerts and workshops will be recorded and shared online for study and enjoyment by broader audiences.

Library: Preserving and promoting choral music since 1984, the Camerata has established The Demetrius Project, a national lending library of low-voice sheet music with over 200,000 scores of 3,300 works. New this year, they're expanding access with a more robust database and central-DC physical location at First Trinity Lutheran Church.

Managing Director Jonathon Hampton rounds out the new team. He previously sang with the Camerata during the last two seasons and spent the past 16 years working in arts administration, largely with Carnegie Hall, Pacific Boychoir Academy, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, and Strathmore. Hampton is eager to help advance the nonprofit, supporting the ensemble's artistic and administrative pursuits. He says, "Sustaining arts organizations is more crucial now than ever, especially in our nation's Capital, and it's my privilege to do so. As creatives we have a wonderful opportunity and powerful responsibility to reflect history and envision the future. We're poised to help our community connect through artistry, share in the beauty of music, and embody the influence of art."

CONCERTS

Noel! Christmas with the Camerata • Sat, December 14, 2024 at 8pm • St. Columba's Episcopal Church • 4201 Albemarle St NW, Washington, DC 20016

Noel! Christmas with the Camerata • Sun, December 15, 2024 at 4pm • The Church of the Epiphany • 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Pardon Our French • Sat, March 22, 2025 at 8pm • First Congregational UCC/Live! at 10th & G • 945 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Seasons • Sat, May 31, 2025 at 8pm • First Congregational UCC/Live! at 10th & G • 945 G St NW, Washington, DC 20001

This song is copyrighted by the NFL. Any other use of this content without the consent of the NFL is prohibited.

October 3, 2024 (Washington, DC) – Washington Men's Camerata, a chorus in the nation's Capital for four decades, today revealed that it is the hearty, mellifluous sound behind the latest official version of the Washington Commanders fight song, "Hail to the Commanders." They will perform the song live with the Commanders Marching Band before the team's home game against the Cleveland Browns on October 6, 2024.

The Camerata recorded the song with the Commanders Band, led by Commanders Music Director Jeffrey Dokken. Hear it at camerata.com in both orchestrated and a cappella versions. The Camerata will perform the song live, with the Commanders' Marching Band, in Legenda Plaza at Northwest Stadium at 11:55 am this Sunday.

"It's tempting to say this recording has put us in a new league," said Camerata Artistic Director Scott Tucker. "It was an ideal collaboration between two long-standing DC institutions. We can't imagine the nation's Capital without the Commanders and we're honored to be chosen as their partners in musical tradition."

"It's been an honor to partner with Washington Men's Camerata on the latest rendition of our fight song," said Darius Smith, Sr. Director of Game Presentation and Entertainment, Washington Commanders. "With a long, storied legacy in the DC area, the Camerata's vocals will now be part of our gameday experience and in the spotlight for Commanders fans at Northwest Stadium this season. We look forward to having them perform with the Commanders Band ahead of our next home game on October 6."

The Camerata is celebrating its 40th season, which will begin with holiday concerts on December 14 and 15.