Choral Ensembles

The Hamilton College Choir

has a history of performance dating back over a century. As a part of a college committed to the liberal arts, its members represent a wide variety of academic interests and pursuits. In addition to several concerts on campus and in neighboring communities, the 60-voice choir tours annually during the spring recess. Recent tours have ranged as far as Chicago to the west, Boston to the east, Montreal to the north and Atlanta to the south. In addition, the Choir has toured Europe six times, most recently a tour of Spain in 1997. Click here to hear the choir (mp3 file -488 K). Still want more? Here's another (mp3 file - 168 K).

The College Hill Singers

is a chamber vocal ensemble that draws its singers from the College Choir. It provides an opportunity for qualified singers to participate in a variety of chamber ensembles, with repertory drawn from all historical periods. Their repertory ranges from Renaissance madrigals to 20th-century vocal jazz.

The Hamilton College and Community Oratorio Society

founded in 1975, is an organization of approximately one hundred twenty singers and is open to any member of the community without audition. The Oratorio Society has dedicated itself to bringing together Hamilton students, faculty, staff and their families with members of the surrounding community from as far north as Old Forge and as far south as Sherburne to sing great choral masterworks, accompanied by some of the finest orchestral musicians and vocal soloists in the area. G. Roberts Kolb has been the director of this group since 1981.
Click here to hear the Oratorio Society (mp3 file - 650K).

Our Director

G. ROBERTS KOLB is a Professor of Music and Director of Choral Music at Hamilton. A graduate of Occidental College, his postgraduate education includes a year of study at the School of Theology at Claremont, California, a master's degree in Choral Conducting from the California State University at Fullerton, and a doctorate in Choral Music from the University of Illinois. Before coming to Hamilton in 1981, Prof. Kolb taught at Smith College, where he conducted the Smith Choirs and Glee Club. He has been Musical Director of both the Syracuse Vocal Ensemble and the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble (Ithaca, NY), and is Director of Music at the Stone Presbyterian Church in Clinton, NY. A member of the National Research and Publications Committee of the American Choral Directors Association, he is a contributing author to Up Front! Becoming the Complete Choral Conductor.

Submitting a Tape with your Application to Hamilton

On cassette tape (preferred) or VHS tape, please include two musical works (or movements of works) that demonstrate contrasting styles, and that best show your musical abilities. Please send directly to the Admissions Office. If you are going to visit the campus, why not audition in person! Just contact Professor Kolb.

Auditions for Choral Groups

Auditions take place during Orientation Week in August and during the first week of classes during the Fall terms. Sign-up sheets are posted outside List 208, or email Prof. Kolb for an appointment.

Brigadoon!
Last February, the choir put on a performance of the musical Brigadoon. Click here to see some pictures of the dress rehearsal.

What Singers have to Say:

"I love singing with such a large, talented group of people. As a first-year, the challenging material we are singing seemed quite an undertaking, but it was a challenge well worth the reward of sounding beautiful by the end of our six day tour."
Katya Efimenko '02, soprano

"Coming to Hamilton, I had no plans of joining the College Choir, but now I'm very glad I did. Choir is filled with a very diverse group of students, and the whole experience is very exciting, challenging, and fun!"
Gregory Weyer '02, bass

"Rob teaches us to sing *musically* -- not just read notes and sing words, but shape them into something more meaningful and profound."
Anne Egger '00, alto

"Choir has been one of the best experiences I've had at Hamilton College. Rob is so wonderful and he makes choir a lot of fun and very exciting. Choir will probably be the thing I miss most about Hamilton."
Sarah Hesse '99, alto

Additional Information

Have some questions? email, call, or write:
Professor G. Roberts Kolb
Department of Music
Hamilton College
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
315.859.4261