VIDEO

OF SIGHT & SOUND

“Look at the Stars” from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Jocelyn Hagen

Enjoy this excerpt of the ninth and final movement from Hagen’s multimedia symphony for chorus, orchestra, and video animation which brings da Vinci’s work to life through his words and drawings.

sing, sing, swing

SING, SING, SWING, our 17th Annual Cabaret, is a dynamic blend of jazz and swing music that will leave you tapping your feet and swaying to the beat.

Get ready to be transported back to the golden age of jazz as the chorus performs some of America's most beloved standards, including “It Don’t Mean a Thing”, “Stormy Weather”, and “How High the Moon”, along with lesser known gems. With a live band and brass section featuring some of DC's finest jazz players, scat solos, solo ballads, tap dance, and fully choreographed pieces, this concert is electrifying performance and celebration of jazz.

homesong

A tapestry of music and culture with works by US immigrant and first generation composers who draw inspiration from their homelands.

Featuring the world premiere of our 2022 Commission Chalo Re Mhaare Des by Gaayatri Kaundinya.

MIXTAPE

Mixtape takes you on a musical tour through the decades, featuring member-curated hits from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Led by Artistic Director Allan Laiño, Congressional Chorus wows audiences with their signature blend of song and dance in the annual cabaret. The concert features the long-awaited premiere of their 2020 commission, Ever-Changing Land, by former Artistic Director Chris Urquiaga.

BEAUTIFULLY HUMAN

A powerful celebration of shared humanity. The concert features two remarkable compositions. Credo, an underappreciated masterpiece by Margaret Bonds, serves as a testament to her lifelong dedication to racial justice and musical craftsmanship. Inspired by W. E. B. DuBois' influential text on racial equality, Bonds created a profound social justice manifesto. Where We Find Ourselves draws inspiration from the work of Hugh Mangum, an empathetic photographer who welcomed people from all backgrounds into his studio during the era of Jim Crow segregation. Through a multimedia experience, Mangum's portraits offer a glimpse into ordinary life in the early 1900s, prompting contemplation of race, class, and life experiences. Commissioned by Congressional Chorus as part of an international consortium, Where We Find Ourselves features music by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm, a dedicated advocate for social, environmental, and transgender issues, and lyrics by Chantal Sellers, a Native American poet passionate about amplifying forgotten voices. This choral song cycle is based on the book of the same title by Margaret Sartor and Alex Harris, author/photographers.

A NIGHTMARE ON G STREET

Congressional Chorus made its return to the live stage with a Halloween extravaganza - A Nightmare on G Street!

The show featured newly commissioned rap and poetry by Kosi performed with live band and full dance numbers. Jam out with vintage Halloween hits like Monster Mash, Time Warp, and Thriller. Encounter spooky voices from the underworld, hear the lament of La Llorona (“The Weeping Woman”), and experience a powerful artistic statement against the demons of systemic racism featuring music from Get Out.

This is her story: Celebrating black women in music

Congressional Chorus paid homage to some of the greatest black women composers, arrangers and performers from various generations of music. The program will ranged from classical, jazz, folk, and gospel selections. We are honored to have featured as guest artists: Afro Blue from Howard University, Brandie Sutton from the Metropolitan Opera and Dr. Leah Claiborne from the University of the District Of Columbia, as well as an all black female band accompanying the chorus.

¡VIVA LA MúSICA!

Congressional Chorus presents songs in different languages and dialects from the Latin American communities including Spanish and Portuguese.

VOGUE: RETURN TO THE 90s

Congressional Chorus celebrates the music, dance, and fashion of the 1990’s. The 1990’s was the decade of pop. It brought the melting-pot American dream to music, proving that in an ever-more connected world, anything can become a pop sensation, and anyone can become a pop star.

Ella’s Song

The Congressional Chorus and the Northeast Senior Singers (NESS) are proud to release a special video in our Virtual Choir series in honor of the 57th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.  Our song selection, Ella's Song, was written by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon and is named for Ella Baker, known as the Mother of Civil Rights. Ella led grassroots efforts for more than five decades to fight racial injustice. The song is known as an anthem to Ms. Baker, a poignant call-to-action for allies and activists alike to lend their voices and energies to creating a more equitable world for Black Americans. Release date: August 28, 2020.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkqI6dzLN-E

Virtual Insanity

Congressional Chorus presents Virtual Insanity, the second of three videos in its Summer Concerts Series 2020. Originally planned to be part of the Chorus’ Vogue – Return to the 90’s Cabaret, which was postponed due to COVID-19, the song represents our sense of living in an uncertain time. Release date: July 31, 2020.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiLBTa6Kz2Y

NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED: Music of America’s Women Composers our November 2020 concert on DVD and CD. Enjoy this wonderful concert featuring American women composers including Amy Beach's ground-breaking Festival Jubilate of 1892, and Jennifer Higdon, Libby Larsen, Alice Parker, Joan Szymko, and Undine Smith Moore. 

DVD: $30.20 CD: $27.10 Shipping & Handling: $5

Click here to order (email us and we will contact you to process your order).

Let Justice Roll our June 2019 concert on DVD and CD. This powerful concert includes a performance of African-American composer William Grant Still’s ground-breaking 1945 choral ballad AND THEY LYNCHED HIM ON A TREE, Michael John Trotta’s 2017 “All Of Us Be Free,” "Ella's Song”, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,", "Justice", “Ain’t You Got A Right To The Tree Of Life”, ‘Still I Rise”, “Let Us Plant Our Gardens Now”, “America, The Dream”, and Tom Trenney’s a cappella setting of “We Shall Overcome”.

DVD: $30.20 CD: $27.10 Shipping & Handling: $5

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Jazz Hot our March 2019 concert on DVD and CD.  In an exuberant and high energy cabaret style performance, the enjoy the Chorus take you through the evolution of jazz over the past 120 years, from Hughie Cannon’s 1902 Dixieland jazz standard, “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please ComeHome,” to Quincy Jones’ 1995 “cool” jazz hit “Cool Joe, Mean Joe”.

DVD: $30.20 CD: $27.10 Shipping & Handling: $5

Click here to order (email us and we will contact you to process your order).