About the Oratorio Chorale
Now in its fifth decade, the Oratorio Chorale is a symphonic chorus committed to advancing choral music through exceptional performances, educational and community outreach, and collaborations. The Chorale consists of about 80 auditioned, professionally directed singers, from high school students to retirees.
Artistic Director Emily Isaacson joined us in 2013–14, the Chorale’s 40th season. She is noted for unique programming that provides a contemporary take on timeless music. During her tenure, Oratorio Chorale founded Sweetest in the Gale, a women’s chorus, and a Young Artists Program for gifted high school students.
A Brief History
The Oratorio Chorale was founded in 1974 in Brunswick, Maine, by music scholar Russell Crosby to give singers an opportunity to perform great works of the classical repertory — notably Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. George Emlen, later music director of the Boston-based Revels, led the group from 1979 to 1984, when the Chorale joined forces with the Bowdoin Chorus under the direction of Robby Greenlee and performed the first-ever staged performance of Otto Luening’s Evangeline. The two groups reverted to their previous status in 1986, and Peter Frewen was selected as music director of the fully auditioned chorus. Under Frewen’s tenure, the Chorale presented several Maine premieres and commissioned a work by Vineet Shende. Frewen retired in 2013, and the Chorale selected Dr. Emily Isaacson as its new artistic director. Isaacson has led a dramatic expansion of membership and performances, including the founding of Sweetest in the Gale and the Young Artists Program. In 2020, the Oratorio Chorale merged with the Portland Bach Experience, and both are now programs of Classical Uprising.