CHARIS CHAMBER VOICES - BACKGROUND

Charis Chamber Voices is an ensemble of 25-30 auditioned singers directed by Westchester resident Susanne Peck, a talented music director, conductor, professional singer, and voice teacher. Taking its name from the Greek word for grace, Charis ('kah-ris) is known for fluid singing, exceptional musicianship and warmth of sound. Based in Dobbs Ferry, NY, the group has gained a devoted following in the New York City region. Dennis Keene, director of New York City's acclaimed Voices of Ascension, has called Charis "the finest chorus in Westchester County."

Charis performs a wide variety of music, including 16th Century madrigals, Bach cantatas, American hymns and ballads and most recently a production of Handel's Messiah with full baroque orchestra. The group has been invited several times to sing with Philharmonia Virtuosi, the Westchester-based orchestra directed by Richard Kapp, with whom Charis has performed the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes and holiday music. The group toured Italy in the summer of 1995, performing American music and Italian madrigals. Charis has been a featured solo ensemble at the Dennis Keene Choral Festival in Kent, Connecticut, since the festival's inception in 1998.

In 2001, Charis released its first CD, From Sorrow Free, a collection of American songs, from hymns of Colonial New England to settings of twentieth-century poetry . Charis also frequently performs the original works and arrangements of modern composers from the New York area, including those of Westchester resident Julie Dolphin.