Hudson Chorale, Westchester’s largest chorus, will begin its 6th season on January 24, 2016 with a program that will musically transport its audience to the great cathedrals of France and to the temple in the Jewish Quarter of Paris. All this without having to endure airport traffic and tourists with smart phones and selfie sticks.

The program consists of 20^th century works by French composers who have all achieved international recognition: Requiem by Maurice Duruflé, Four Motets by Francis Poulenc, O Sacrum Convivium by Olivier Messiaen, and Deux Mélodies Hébraïques by Maurice Ravel, which draws on Aramaic text from the Kaddish (Jewish prayer book for mourning rituals) and traditional Yiddish verse. New Music Director, Ira Spaulding, will be the soloist for Deux Mélodies Hébraïques which he will perform in their original languages. Music lovers can re-visit the works of “old friends” while meeting interesting and engaging “new friends” at the same time.

This is the first concert to be conducted by Ira Spaulding who brings an astonishing depth and breadth of training and choral experience to his new role with Hudson Chorale. He has enjoyed a multi-faceted career spanning more than 35 years which include teaching, conducting, giving choral masterclasses, and performing as soloist in concerts and recitals around the globe. He is currently a Professor of Vocal and Choral Music at City College of New York.

The concert will feature the 80-voice Hudson Chorale and organ accompaniment by master keyboardist, David Baranowski, who has earned a reputation throughout the region and Europe as a highly versatile and gifted keyboardist who performs with equal virtuosity on piano, keyboard, organ and harpsichord, with repertoire ranging from Bach to the Beatles.

Don’t miss this magnifique tribute to French composers and to the majesté of the organ! One performance only on Sunday, January 24, 2016 at the White Plains Presbyterian Church, 39 North Broadway, White Plains, NY, beginning at 3:00 pm. Handicap parking is available. Following the concert, the audience is invited to an informal reception to meet the new conductor and chat with the members of the chorus and orchestra, a long-standing Hudson Chorale tradition.

Ticket Prices: Advance Sales - $25; Door - $30; Students - $10. Tickets can be purchased by calling (914) 462-3212 or on-line at www.HudsonChorale.org.