The Pennsylvania State University Pattee Library houses the State College Choral Society records. The archive contains documents, memorabilia, cassette tapes and CD recordings from 1948 forward.
Rehearsal 1970s
A Brief History of the State College Choral Society
In December of 1948, the State College Choral Society was merely a gleam in the eyes of a 35-member Women's Club chorus in State College, PA. Since then, that gleam has developed into 74 years of beautiful music. The Music Section of the Women's Club invited men to join them for a performance of Bach's B minor Mass, and the State College Choral Society was born. Through the years, the chorus has presented an impressive number of full-length classical works.
Today, with approximately 100 members, the State College Choral Society (SCCS) is the largest choral group to perform a classical repertoire in central Pennsylvania. The group seeks to offer singing opportunities and concert experiences to individuals and audiences throughout the region. Vocalists from towns far and wide gather in State College each Monday night to prepare for winter and spring concerts and occasional December Messiah performances that benefit local charities. SCCS often collaborates with fellow community music groups, including the Nittany Valley Symphony, Nittany Valley Children's Choir, and Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra.
In 2004, SCCS commissioned a full-length choral work for the first time, Voices of the Holocaust, based on the creative vision of Choral Society bass Phil Klein and arranged by a talented young composer, Sheridan Seyfried. The work premiered on November 14, 2004 as was accompanied by a larger commemoration of the survivors and victims of the Holocaust, including a survivor's panel discussion, speaker series, art exhibit, essay content, and high school honors choir that joined SCCS for the performance. Since that first tremendously inspiring and successful performance, Voices has been performed four times, including twice in South America.