Rehearsals on March 6 & 12 will be at Second Congregational Church.

The Greater Westfield Choral Association was formed in 1977 by Floyd Corson as a community chorus. GWCA has performed a remarkably wide range of music, including works from the Renaissance to the avant garde, accompanied by a variety of instruments. The major sacred works of the Classical and Romantic periods form the largest part of its repertoire. Each year GWCA prepares this concert in a schedule which encompasses only ten or eleven weeks, a total of about twenty-four intense hours of rehearsal time. GWCA is a non-auditioned chorus, and we welcome new members. The only requirements are that you enjoy singing, that you have some previous experience in a choir of any kind, and that you faithfully attend rehearsals. The GWCA seasons are short, and do not require a large commitment of time.  And it’s a wonderful opportunity for less experienced singers to learn more about the craft of choral performance. We charge $40 per season as a tuition fee, which helps to cover the cost of the sheet music and a portion of our other expenses. The rest of our funding comes from donations, from program advertisers, from grants, and from ticket sales. GWCA is a very friendly and family-like organization.  New members are always made to feel welcome, and our goals are to learn some challenging music, present fine concerts to audiences in the Pioneer Valley and have fun in the process. Here is a wonderful tribute to Floyd Corson on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

MARC WINER has been the Director of the Greater Westfield Choral Association for over a decade, having previously served as the group's tenor soloist for eleven years. His previous conducting experience was as Music Director for Mahar Regional High School’s production of Oklahoma!, as well as Choral Director for three choirs from grades 7 to 12. Marc also founded and directed the Madrigal Singers at Westfield State College while earning his Bachelor of Music Education degree. He studied conducting there with Dr. Theodore Davidovich and Dr. Peter Demos. Mr. Winer is well known as a tenor soloist throughout the Pioneer Valley and beyond. Highlights of his singing career include the tenor soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Seasons, and the American premiere of A Cambridge Mass, a newly discovered work by Vaughan Williams. A personal favorite is the performance at Westfield State University of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, in which he shared the stage with his daughter Mara, who starred in the lead role. While at Westfield State, he traveled to Austria and also performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC with the Chorale. Marc has studied voice with Lois Sayers Smith, Ken Manzer, and Sudie Marcuse. Mr. Winer currently is tenor soloist at First Congregational Church here in Westfield. Marc also performs throughout Western Massachusetts and beyond with such groups as Arcadia Players, the Middletown Chorale, Hampshire Choral Society and many others. He lives in Agawam, MA with his wife, Michelle, son Michael and daughter Mara (all of whom also sing in the group). Feel free to contact Marc: director@westfieldchoral.org

KAREN DUCHARME has been GWCA’s accompanist and rehearsal pianist for over a decade. She is currently the Music Director at UCC Second Congregational Church in Westfield. Karen received a B.A. in Music from Westfield State University where she has accompanied many choral groups, student recitals and musical theatre productions. During her musical theatre career, she passionately played piano and was music director for over 150 productions.

GWCA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation that is managed by an annually elected Board of Directors.  The Director and Accompanist are both ex-officio members.  For the current season, the officers are: Jay Ducharme, President Doris Love, Secretary Nancy Grimaldi, Treasurer Other current Board members are: Joseph Geehern Barb Johnson Mary Mackintosh Audrey Pierce We always welcome new members to the Board.  If you’re interested in becoming a Board member, please write to the President by clicking on the link above.