Visit chambersingers.info for more details! Bloomington Chamber Singers (BCS) is a community-based, nonprofit corporation registered with Indiana and Federal agencies, and owned and governed by its singers, each of whom is a voting member of the Corporation. We began in 1970 with 17 singers who desired to sing a wide range of music, secular and sacred, modern and traditional. Singers from both Ind
iana University (IU) and the greater community came together to practice once a week in a home, taking time out of their busy lives because of their love for choral music. The first conductor was a doctoral conducting student from the IU School of Music who volunteered his time. BCS provides a rare opportunity for amateur singers to perform major choral works and to hone their craft under the guidance of a professional conductor. The excellence of the ensemble is reflected by the large number of individuals who audition each year, our membership continuity, the consistently large audiences we draw from Bloomington and several surrounding counties, and our laudatory reviews. Over the years, BCS has increased in size, developed an effective governing infrastructure with appropriate financial resources, and most importantly achieved a well-recognized high level of musicianship and breadth of repertoire. Art is one of the most characteristic human activities there is, enriching and improving us all. There is, simply put, no culture anywhere in the world that does not sing, and our activities provide something no other community organization does. We are not a religious group per se, although a majority of our concerts are centered on the religious music of the West because that is where the repertoire of our common cultural tradition lies. Our first choices are always aesthetic, but we are cognizant of the values of the communities we serve and try to choose pieces that are not only beautiful but valuable emotionally and intellectually. In addition to our annual concert series, BCS enriches the community in other ways. During the holiday season we carol on the Courthouse Square and in downtown shopping areas. For many years, BCS has invited the public to join in an open sing-along of the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah. An average of 300 singers and listeners attend each year to enjoy this annual tradition, which benefits the Hoosier Hills Food Bank.
