The Moravian Music Foundation preserves, shares, and celebrates Moravian musical culture.

The Unitas Chorale was founded in the fall of 1996 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by the Moravian Music Foundation, under the impetus of the energy and organizational skills of founding director Jill Bruckart. Unitas’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for the performance of both selections from the Foundation’s archival collections and newly-written Moravian music. Membership in Unitas is open to any interested singers; just talk to the director or any Chorale member!

Jill Bruckart remained the director of the Unitas Chorale through the 2011 concert season. With the 2011-2012 season, MMF’s Assistant Director Gwyneth Michel became the director of the Unitas Chorale. Now entering her 8th year, Gwyn is working on programming for spring 2019, and would love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining! The Chorale rehearses the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month, January through April, with a concert late April or early May.

Like the Moramus Chorale, this performing arm of the Moravian Music Foundation provides excellent quality choral singing experiences for its participants, and uplifting concert programs for its home community – and sometimes beyond!

Each year, Gwyn chooses a theme and crafts the concert program exploring that theme. For 2019 the Chorale will focus on The Passion of Christ: A Walk With Our Lord Through Holy Week. This year’s concert will be on Sunday, May 5, 2019, at a location to be determined.

Looking for a new venture to help you keep that New Year’s Resolution to do something wonderful for yourself and others? Why not sing in the Unitas Chorale? Contact conductor Gwyn Michel – gwyn@moravianmusic.org – and she’ll be happy to have you join in! The first rehearsal for 2019 is scheduled for Sunday, January 6, 3:00-5:00 p.m., at College Hill Moravian Church in Bethlehem, weather permitting. There is no audition required, just an interest in performing choral music and a commitment to come to rehearsals.

Next time … composer Johannes Herbst, and what he brought with him to North Carolina in 1811 …