Westmoreland Festival Chorus
The Westmoreland Festival Chorus is a community organization that prepares both sacred and secular works for the Bethesda community, and raises funds for local charities and service organizations. A part of the social outreach activities of the church, the choir is made up of a diverse group of singers from the surrounding areas and beyond, and engages both amateur and professional musicians. They have presented the Requiems of Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, and Duruflé; cantatas by Bach, Britten, and Pinkham; and major works by Vaughan Williams, Handel, Schubert, Vivaldi, and others. The chorus often collaborates with local ensembles, such as the Apollo Symphony, the Washington Conservatory of Music, and the Great Noise Ensemble, as well as soloists, such as Laura Choi Stuart, Lena Seikaly, and Richard Giarusso. In 2014, they presented the world premier of The Imaginary City, a cantata inspired by the life of Palestinian violist Ramzi Aburedwan, which raised over $17,000 for Al Kamandjati music schools of Palestine. The Westmoreland Festival Chorus continues to work with many of the area’s best musicians to create beauty in the world, sustain a rigorous yet edifying experience for its singers, and provide support to the many local organizations that seek to do good in our community.
Performing a program of all Latvian Music at Latvian Lutheran Church in Rockville, MD, March 2018, in celebration of 100 years of Latvian Independence. This performance raised funds for Lutheran Immigrant Refugee Services and was in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Andris Teikmanis. Photo: Ed Benkowski
Past Performances
-
This enormous collaboration featured the US premiere of Paul Stanhope’s set “Sea Pieces”, performed by soprano Laura Choi Stuart, along with the momentum “Da Pacem” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, adapted for strings, percussion, and organ by Alec Davis and Chris Betts.
We raised funds for Bethesda Cares as they honored their executive director Sue Kirk and her 20 years of leadership.
-
This concert featured a new orchestration of this work, which was originally written for two violins and organ. It was adapted to fit an advent theme and we included spoken word throughout in remembrance of victims of gun violence. This was in conjunction with the establishment of a scholarship fund in the name of Rev. Pinckney, for which we raised over $5,000
Listen to the music selections here.
The Imaginary City (December 6, 2014)
On Saturday, December 6, 2014, the Westmoreland choir, soloist and orchestra presented the world premier of "The Imaginary City" -- a cantata inspired by the life of Palestinian violist Ramzi Aburedwan. It was a magical evening of music and fellowship and raised over $17,000 for Al Kamandjati music schools in Palestine. Enjoy the video of the concert below. Download a copy of the concert program.