History
The Newburyport Choral Society (NCS) gave its first concert in 1935 under the direction of organist and choirmaster Clifton Lunt at Newburyport City Hall.
After Maestro Lunt’s retirement in 1962, NCS had seven directors until the arrival of Dr. Gerald Weale in 1987, who served in the position until 2014.
Dr. Weale was Boston University’s Chair of the Department of Music Education. Under his leadership, NCS set itself apart from other area community choruses by singing more challenging repertoire and contracting with professional orchestra musicians and soloists for its performances, which rivalled those available in Boston.
In 2014 Dr. George Case became NCS Music Director. An award-winning conductor and educator at Boston Conservatory and a professional soloist, Dr. Case brought vibrant leadership and teaching skills to NCS. A landmark performance was James Whitborn’s “Annelies.”
In 2020, Ryan Turner became NCS Music Director. The Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music, a renowned scholar of J.S. Bach, a tenor soloist, and professor at Longy School of Music of Bard College, Turner raised the bar further in musicality and professionalism of the choir. Ryan led a unique landmark performance of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” juxtaposed with Boston Camerata’s medieval version.
Over its long history, NCS has fostered the appreciation of music in the Newburyport community, by involving school choirs, for example. In addition, NCS has contributed to the creation of new musical masterpieces with its commissions. In 2021 NCS performed Zanaida Stewart Robles’ “Guidelines” which set to music the poetry of Newburyport’s own Rhina Espaillat. NCS performed the World Premiere of composer Kyle Smith’s “I Could See the Sky” with the Greater Newburyport Children’s Chorus in 2015. Other commissioned works include Marjorie Merryman’s “Jonah,” which symbolized the North Shore’s seafaring history, and “One Blood” about the historic Deerfield Massacre.
NCS completed three European tours, through Eastern Europe, Italy and France, and has performed at Carnegie Hall.
