Our Crowdfunding Groups
Although this project has concluded, if you would still like to make a donation to support the Heinz Chapel Choir International Tour, you may always do so here
The members of the Heinz Chapel Choir have finished their final exams and left campus for hearth and home for the winter holidays, but we left a piece of our hearts behind in the Heinz Memorial Chapel. We hope you’ll listen to the re-broadcast/audio stream of our December 9 holiday concert, Hearts all aglow, via WQED-FM on Christmas Day at 1:30pm ET. If you aren’t in Pittsburgh to listen at 89.3 FM on your radio, please click the “now playing” button at https://www.wqed.org/fm. You’ll be able to find a PDF of the concert program at the WQED link or here right now.
In addition to resting and recharging, the members of HCC are spending the winter break applying for (or dusting off!) their passports and looking forward to getting to work on our tour repertoire in January. Thanks to your generous support, our International Tour fundraising campaign reached 100% of our stretch goal yesterday! These funds will go directly to the singers in the form of a tour scholarship that reduces their financial contribution to the trip by over fifty percent. It means so much to the choir to have this opportunity to travel, perform, learn about and experience the cultures of England, Scotland, and Wales, and to make lasting memories together. We all understand that this would not be possible without your contributions and we’re even more determined to make you proud.
Thank you, again, for helping to make this tour (and everything that we'll learn from it) a possibility. We appreciate each one of you so much. Please watch our website and social media to share our adventures in the UK from May 2-14, 2023. In the meantime, please accept our gratitude and warm wishes for your holiday season.
We have made music!
Dr. Susan Rice and the members of the Heinz Chapel Choir
The members of the Heinz Chapel Choir have sung 4 of the 6 performances in our holiday concert series, Hearts all aglow, and are gearing up for the final 2 (as well as finishing final projects and studying for final exams)! We hope you’ll listen to the audio livestream/broadcast via WQED-FM on Friday, December 9 at 8:00pm ET or to the rebroadcast of that concert on Christmas Day (scheduled now for 1:30pm). If you aren’t in Pittsburgh to listen at 89.3 FM on your radio, please click the “listen live” button at https://www.wqed.org/fm. You’ll be able to find a PDF of the concert program at the WQED link on Friday, or here right now.
Thanks to your incredible generosity, the EngagePitt campaign in support of our May 2023 tour to Northern England, Scotland, and North Wales reached 100% of our initial goal! This makes it possible for the students to receive a tour scholarship that pays half of their individual cost for the trip! Since there are 24 days remaining in our campaign, we’ve been encouraged to set a “stretch” goal that would add an additional $120 to each singer’s scholarship. Please feel free to share the link to listen to Friday’s concert and the news about our UK tour campaign with your friends and family! Thank you again for all your support – “we have made music!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Susan Rice and the members of the Heinz Chapel Choir
The members of the Heinz Chapel Choir are settling into a well-deserved Thanksgiving Break - no doubt sleeping, doing some overdue laundry, and looking forward to a delicious meal with family and friends – which allows us a moment for reflection. It’s been two weeks since we launched the EngagePitt campaign in support of our May 2023 tour to Northern England, Scotland, and North Wales and thanks to your generosity, we’re almost halfway to our goal!
We’ve been enjoying our recent rehearsals in the beautiful Heinz Memorial Chapel and we’re all looking forward to the start of our holiday concert series, Hearts all aglow. We hope you’ll join us in person for one of the performances (some tickets are still available at music.pitt.edu/hcc-holiday-tickets) or will listen to the audio livestream/broadcast via WQED-FM on Friday, December 9 at 8:00pm ET. Meanwhile, we wanted to share our appreciation for you with this short clip of Jacob Narverud’s “Season of Light” from our last rehearsal before break. We hope this Thanksgiving is the beginning of a season of light for you and yours.
With gratitude,
Dr. Susan Rice and the members of the Heinz Chapel Choir
The Heinz Chapel Choir planned a tour to Scandinavia for spring 2020, but we were unable to make that trip. We’re so excited to tour internationally again and your donation makes it possible.
The Heinz Chapel Choir was established in 1938 with the dedication of the Heinz Memorial Chapel. Since our founding, there has always been a strong bond between our members. Because of your donation, we will be able to strengthen that bond through travel and cultural immersion.
It’s the 84th anniversary year of the Heinz Chapel Choir! Fun fact - our choir started touring internationally in the 1970s under the only other name we’ve ever had, the Heinz Chapel Concert Choir (HCCC). Although we didn’t keep that extra C, we’re thrilled to carry on the tradition of international tours.
During our travels, we’ll visit Edinburgh Castle. This historic castle stands 130 meters above sea level on Castle Rock and is a recognizable symbol of Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.
While in England, we’ll attend Evensong at York Minster. Though we love our own Cathedral of Learning here at Pitt, we’re excited to experience one of the biggest cathedrals in North Europe. York Minster's highest tower is 235 feet tall!
There are 427 castles in the country of Wales and we’ll be visiting one on our tour! We are going to Conwy Castle to learn more about Welsh culture. Your donation helps us get there! Diolch! (that’s thank you in Welsh)
We may not see Ryan Reynolds (or “the football”) while we’re in North Wales, but we will share a concert with a local male voice choir! This campaign helps the members of HCC directly and a gift of this size adds $25 to each singer's tour scholarship. We’re truly grateful for your generosity.
