World Choral Day December 10th, 2023

Today we celebrate the enduring tradition and global popularity of choral singing, a communal art form that unites voices in harmony and expression. The oldest choral repertory known is from ancient Greece, 2nd century BC. Gregorian chants in churches starting in 400 AD also formed the early sounds of choirs. With the development of polyphony with more than one singer per part around the year 1400, choral music expanded its range and complexity, notably during the Reformation when homophonic music emerged around the early 17th century, emphasizing the alignment of melody and text. Choral singing eventually transcended its religious roots, thus gaining creative freedom. This led to significant compositions like Beethoven's 9th Symphony, 1824, which famously incorporated choirs. Popularity remains strong today with innovative projects like Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir with 35,000+ singers from 145 countries. In the U.S. there has been a renaissance since the 20th century under the influence of figures like Robert Shaw. Today choral singing is the most popular form of participation in the performing arts there, with some 43 million Americans involved in choruses. It's especially popular among children. Dedicated specially to the Wedding Singers, the Bayer Berlin Choir, that use their voices to give us togetherness and feeling our collective greater than us individuals. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choir Text supported by ChatGPT, Art Dall-E.