Swarthmore College Chorus & Garnet Singers
Chorus and the Garnet Singers provide singers on the Swarthmore campus the opportunity to join a welcoming creative community that rehearses and performs works from across hundreds of years and many musical traditions. Both ensembles are directed by Dr. Nathan Reiff and perform regularly in Lang Concert Hall.
Chorus is a mixed-voice choir comprising about 75 students, faculty, staff, and community members. This ensemble rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:00-9:00 PM, with each vocal section meeting approximately one additional Thursday per month for a sectional rehearsal from 7:00-8:00 PM. Chorus performs repertoire including small-scale works from throughout history and around the globe as well as major works with orchestra including Fauré’s Requiem, Boulanger’s Hymne au Soleil, and Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243). Singers of all experience levels are encouraged to join.
Garnet Singers is a select, mixed-voice ensemble of approximately 24 students. Garnet Singers rehearses Mondays from 4:15-6:15 PM and Thursdays from 8:00-9:00 p.m. Garnet Singers are strongly encouraged to enroll simultaneously in Chorus. This ensemble focuses on works that are more intimate than those sung by Chorus, typically either a cappella or with piano accompaniment, and spanning many centuries, languages, and musical styles. It also regularly premieres pieces by student and faculty composers.
Both Chorus and Garnet Singers provide numerous opportunities for members interested in being section leaders, rehearsal managers, social coordinators, conductors, composers, and arrangers. Both choirs can be taken for 0.5 or 0.0 credits.
Students singing in Chorus and/or Garnet Singers are eligible to participate in a free Skills for Singing course aiming to help develop vocal technique, rehearsal skills, music reading, and related abilities. More information about Skills for Singing will be available at the first rehearsal of each ensemble.
In May 2026, as part of the College's embedded study program, Garnet Singers spent over a week in the U.K. on an intensive tour of London and Cambridge. During that time, the group performed as a featured ensemble at Merton SingFest and in collaboration with the Reading Bach Choir, sang Evensong services with the Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge and at Ely Cathedral, and connected with many other choral musicians across the country. Read all about the trip here!
2026-2027 Performance Dates
Friday, November 20th, 2026 at 8pm in Lang Concert Hall
Friday, April 23rd, 2027 at 8pm in Lang Concert Hall
Choral Auditions, Fall 2026
Choral auditions at Swarthmore are a low-pressure and affirming experience! Both Chorus and Garnet Singers offer auditions at the beginning of each semester. During your brief audition you will be asked to do some vocal exercises, a listening exercise, and to sing about 30 seconds of a song of your choosing in any style, a cappella (“Happy Birthday” is fine!). Prospective members of Garnet Singers will also spend a few minutes looking at a piece of music representative of the ensemble's repertoire. The goal is for you to feel empowered to share about your musical experience and goals in a welcoming space.
This semester, Chorus will perform Antonio Vivaldi's thrilling and expressive Gloria with chamber orchestra and student soloists, while Garnet Singers will sing a set of songs of love and lament by composers including Johann Sebastian Bach, Morten Lauridsen, Saunder Choi, and others.
Auditions will be held in Lang Music Building on Aug. 30-Sep. 2. A link to sign up for a brief audition is available here or reach out to Nathan Reiff (nreiff1@swarthmore.edu) to schedule an alternate time. We look forward to meeting you!
