Cathedral Choral Society

The Cathedral Choral Society is the resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral. The 160-voice chorus is the oldest choral group in Washington, having been founded in 1941 by Paul Callaway who served as music director until 1984. Since 1985, J. Reilly Lewis has conducted the Society in musical masterpieces from plainsong to the classics to contemporary works. Since its founding, the Cathedral Choral Society has presented numerous world premieres, many of them commissioned by the Society, and has maintained a tradition of showcasing both promising young soloists and internationally known artists.

In addition to concerts at Washington National Cathedral, the chorus has performed in venues around the city and on nationwide radio and television. In recent years, the Choral Society has appeared numerous times at the Kennedy Center with the Washington Ballet in performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana, in performances sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society, and with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). The group appeared in the NSO’s 1998 Beethoven Festival under the baton of Robert Shaw and has performed Beethoven’s Ninth with the orchestra under both Leonard Slatkin and Asher Fisch. The Choral Society and the NSO have also collaborated on several NSO in Your Neighborhood concerts, as well as at Wolf Trap and the Kennedy Center in performances of the Verdi Requiem, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Handel’s Messiah, and works of Gilbert and Sullivan. The chorus regularly participates in the Washington National Cathedral Summer Festival and sang at the Cathedral’s Service of Remembrance on September 11, 2002. In addition to its subscription concert series, the Choral Society sponsors educational and community events, including a Partner Schools Program, pre-concert discussions and Cathedral Sings!

	History of The Cathedral Choral Society

			The Cathedral Choral Society is the resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral. The 160-voice chorus is the oldest choral group in Washington, having been founded in 1941 by Paul Callaway who served as music director until 1984. Since 1985, J. Reilly Lewis has conducted the Society in musical masterpieces from plainsong to the classics to contemporary works. Since its founding, the Cathedral Choral Society has presented numerous world premieres, many of them commissioned by the Society, and has maintained a tradition of showcasing both promising young soloists and internationally known artists. In addition to concerts at Washington National Cathedral, the chorus has performed in venues around the city and on nationwide radio and television. In recent years, the Choral Society has appeared numerous times at the Kennedy Center with the Washington Ballet in performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana, in performances sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society, and with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). The group appeared in the NSO’s 1998 Beethoven Festival under the baton of Robert Shaw and has performed Beethoven’s Ninth with the orchestra under both Leonard Slatkin and Asher Fisch. The Choral Society and the NSO have also collaborated on several NSO in Your Neighborhood concerts, as well as at Wolf Trap and the Kennedy Center in performances of the Verdi Requiem, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Handel’s Messiah, and works of Gilbert and Sullivan. The chorus regularly participates in the Washington National Cathedral Summer Festival and sang at the Cathedral’s Service of Remembrance on September 11, 2002. In addition to its subscription concert series, the Choral Society sponsors educational and community events, including a Partner Schools Program, pre-concert discussions and Cathedral Sings!