Houston Chamber Choir announces that individual tickets are now on sale for its 30th anniversary season

The Grammy Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir has announced that individual tickets for the 2024-25 season are now on sale to the public for the “30th Anniversary Season: From Entrepreneur to Spotlight.” Of the eight concerts, six are part of the choir’s subscription series, while two are free community concerts.

The Houston Chamber Choir is under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson and Artistic Director-Designate Dr. Betsy Cook Weber. They will share conducting duties during the season, which marks a farewell to Simpson, who will step down after the final concert on May 31, 2025.

Having built the choir into one of the world’s premier vocal ensembles, Simpson leaves behind a legacy of musical brilliance that has enriched the Houston-area community and left a lasting mark on the choral community at large. Weber, an internationally renowned choral conductor, assumes the role of artistic director and conductor beginning with the 2025-2026 season.

Details of the Houston Chamber Choir’s concert lineup for the “30th Anniversary Season: From Startup to Spotlight” include:

“The Son of Man” (directed by Robert Simpson)

Saturday, September 21; 7:30 p.m.

Location: South Main Baptist Church, Houston

The Chorus begins its 30th season with the world premiere of “The Son of Man,” a brilliant new work by renowned English composer Patrick Hawes for chorus, soloists and orchestra. This concert marks the first collaboration with the renowned Houston Symphony Orchestra. Based on iconic texts from the Old and New Testaments, its memorable melodies, imaginative choral and orchestral writing, and deep sense of drama result in a powerful experience that is very much of our time, yet reminiscent of Handel’s Messiah. Be the first to hear a work that promises to become a favorite with audiences around the world.

“I Just Want to Celebrate! Songs from the 70s” (directed by Dr. Betsy Cook Weber)

Saturday, October 19; 7:30 p.m.

Location: Miller Outdoor Theatre, Houston

For many, there is no better pop music than that created in the 1970s. The Houston Chamber Choir will take you through the decade with music by Roberta Flack, the Bee Gees, Carly Simon, ABBA, the Jackson 5 and many others. Come sing and play rock and roll at this free concert at the beautiful Miller Outdoor Theatre.

“This Sky” (Dr. Betsy Cook Weber)

Saturday, November 16; 7:30 p.m.

Location: St. Philip Presbyterian Church, Houston

Humans have always looked to the heavens for answers to the great question “Why?” And composers have done the same. The Houston Chamber Choir offers a stellar compilation of pieces that reflect on the heavens. The centerpiece of this program, in addition to music by Heinrich Schütz, Venezuelan-Texan Carlos Cordero, Johannes Brahms and others, is the stunning “Apollo Consolation.” Written in 2014 by American composer Kile Smith, “Consolation” has important connections to Houston, with texts drawn from the philosopher Boethius as well as the Apollo 8 astronaut crew. Accompanied by stunning projections of images from and about space, this concert is sure to engage the imagination aurally and visually.

“Glory in the Highest: Christmas in the Village” (Robert Simpson)

• Saturday, December 7; 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday, December 7; 5 p.m.
• Sunday, December 8; 2:30 p.m.
• Sunday, December 8; 5 p.m.

Location: Matel Villa Chapel, Houston

The sounds of voices, organ, and woodwinds will echo through the beauty of Matel’s Villa Chapel as the Houston Chamber Choir presents “Christmas at the Villa – Glory in the Highest.” This year, special guests include the outstanding instrumental ensemble Paragon Brass, along with the return of the Houston Treble Choir at Christ Church Cathedral led by Marianna Parnas-Simpson. Please join your family and friends in taking part in this Houston holiday tradition.

25th Annual Hear the Future Invitational Choral Festival (Robert Simpson and Dr. Betsy Cook Weber)

Sunday, January 26, 2025; 4 p.m. (Free community concert)

Location: South Main Baptist Church, Houston

The Houston Chamber Choir has a long tradition of featuring some of the Houston area’s most accomplished school and community choirs. This year, the Chamber Choir features McCullough High School, the Houston Treble Choir, and The Woodlands High School. The public is invited to enjoy these four outstanding ensembles in a free concert amidst the stunning acoustics of South Main Baptist Church.

“Love Songs and Sonnets” (Dr. Betsy Cook Weber)

Saturday, February 22, 2025; 7:30 p.m.

Location: South Main Baptist Church, Houston

How Do I Love Thee? Composers have recounted the forms through the centuries. The Houston Chamber Choir will take the listener on a romantic journey that begins in the Renaissance period with scorching, racy madrigals. Next are two important pieces from the Romantic period: Brahms’ Vier Gesänge for treble choir, horns and harp and Schubert’s Ständchen for tenor-bass choir, followed by Sven-David Sandström’s “Four Love Songs.” Lastly, the Choir adds jazz, pop and barbershop to round out the program.

“From Darkness to Light” (Dr. Betsy Cook Weber)

Saturday, April 5, 2025; 7:30 p.m.

Location: South Main Baptist Church, Houston

In 1638, Gregorio Allegri composed a version of Miserere mei, Deus (Psalm 51) for the Sistine Chapel. The apocryphal story goes that the Vatican allowed only three copies to exist, and that they were kept under lock and key so that no one could copy or perform the work. In 1764-65, a young Mozart heard a performance of Allegri’s composition, returned to his inn, and copied it perfectly from memory.

Fast forward again, this time to 1989, when Estonian composer Arvo Pärt composed the same text. Pärt’s Miserere is described as one of his “most dramatic and contrasting pieces…” From these two pieces of darkness, we move on to hope and light, making our way through a Latvian “Plaudite, Psallite” and American spirituals, including Thomas Dorsey’s “Precious Lord.” The concert closes with the beautiful “Amazing Grace,” arranged by Ēriks Ešenvalds.

Saturday, May 31, 2025; 7:30 p.m.

Location: St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Houston

On this special evening, the Houston Chamber Choir family will gather to honor Simpson, who concludes his 30-year tenure as founder and artistic director. The choir will perform some of his favorite songs from over the years and also preview the program that will take him on tour to Sweden, Latvia, and Estonia in June 2025. As the Houston Chamber Choir prepares for continued artistic growth and success in its next 30 years, this evening will celebrate the love, leadership, and luck that have propelled this Grammy-winning ensemble from its early days to its breakout stage.

Individual tickets range from $10 for students to $45, while season tickets range from $57 for students to $222 for the six-concert option. For ticket and season ticket information, visit HoustonChamberchoir.org.

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