Since its inception in 1961 as the Oratorio Society of Washington, the ensemble now known as The Washington Chorus has been committed to the performance of classical choral works at the highest professional level in the D.C. community and abroad.

The ensemble, which won Best Choral Performance of the Year at the 2000 Grammy Awards for its live recording of Benjamin Britten’s stunning War Requiem, is a frequent collaborator with the National Symphony Orchestra, and has toured throughout the world. The Chorus’s repertoire covers the powerhouse works of composers such as Berlioz, Dvorák, Mahler, and Verdi, among many others. The group also performs an annual joint performance with a student choir as part of its Side by Side program, and has initiated the new Junior Washington Chorus for high school juniors and seniors.

Beyond its main concert offerings, The Washington Chorus does much to engage its local community. A smaller group of chorus members comprise the Outreach Singers, who present free, hour-long concerts at retirement homes, children’s hospitals, veterans’ homes, and other locations in the area. Discounted ticket prices are offered to senior citizens, students, and those with disabilities at the ensemble’s events. During Christmas concerts, sign language interpretation—which, according to the Chorus’s web site, is akin to “seeing the music dance”—is available for the hearing impaired.