Williams Chamber Choir

Brad Wells, director

The Williams College Department of Music presents the Chamber Choir under the direction of Brad Wells on Friday, April 8 at 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. in the Williams College Museum of Art Rotunda on the Williams College campus. These free events are open to the public.

Claudio Monteverdi, a composer who was born and whose vast work did much to move music of the Italian renaissance to what we now know as the baroque era, was a pivotal and even musically radical figure. Born in Cremona in 1567, his birth and death dates also roughly book-end a golden age of the musical form called the madrigal. His prodigious output includes what are considered the first operas and his contribution to this great form of expression laid a groundwork for generations of composers to follow. His many madrigals – secular a cappella vocal works for mixed voices – were composed between the years 1587 and 1651 and constitute some of the most beautiful and evocative music of that era.

A selection of these magnificent works are performed by the Williams Chamber Choir in the Williams College Museum of Art’s historic Rotunda, an ideal venue infused with light and offering perfect acoustics for choral music.

Williams College has long had a fine tradition of music performance in its choral ensembles. Brad Wells, Director of Vocal Activities, has helped that tradition flourish. The choral program has much to offer students interested in singing, with a number of performances throughout the year, a wide range of repertoire, recordings and tours.

Event Program