It starts around mid-afternoon almost every Monday of the year. About 85 men from all over the Mid-Atlantic area start gearing up for a fabulous evening of harmony and fellowship. They are . . the Big Apple Chorus!
Under the deft direction of Joe Hunter and his team of musical leaders, the Big Apple Chorus whends its way through a vast repertoire of Swing, Blues, Barbershop, Jazz, Gospel, Broadway and Patriotic arrangements . . . all performed a cappella. Recognized as one of the best a cappella choruses in the United States, the Big Apple Chorus performs these arrangements -- with a full complement of choreography -- for audiences all over the country.
When it was founded in 1983 no one could have imagined that the BIG APPLE CHORUS was going to make the kind of impact that could propel it through over 20 years of extraordinary musical performances. Its members have always been, after all, just ordinary men -- husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers. And most have no formal musical training!
Our members come from every walk of life -- students, teachers, laborers, professionals, executives, retirees. They hail from New York City, of course, but they also travel from Northern and Southern New Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester County, and from the entire span of Long Island. Each week these men journey into the heart of Manhattan to meet and harmonize. They represent the cultural and ethnic diversity that mirrors the great city our chorus represents -- New York!
The members of the BIG APPLE CHORUS are not professional musicians -- they do not get paid for the hours of toil or the privilege of performing. THE BIG APPLE CHORUS itself receives no government grants or corporate funding. So why do we do this? The answer is a simple one:
these men sing for the pure joy of the experience of making soul stirring music and amazing harmony.
These very ordinary citizens love to don the Chorus uniform, stand on the risers next to one another and entertain. And "entertain" they do, with a verve and dynamic that puts THE BIG APPLE CHORUS in a class by itself.
THE BIG APPLE CHORUS has performed in many amazing venues, including:
and in cities across the nation, such as:
| Washington, DC | St. Louis | Minneapolis |
| San Franciso | Hartford | Bridgeport |
| San Antonio | Salt Lake City | Miami |
| Providence | Columbus | Atlanta |
| Boca Raton | Calgary | Montreal |
In 2001 THE BIG APPLE CHORUS traveled to St. Petersburg at the invitation of the Russian Government. The chorus not only performed in concert, but conducted Master Classes for Russian choral groups, chorus directors, composers, and musicians. The chorus’s trip to Russia provided it with a unique opportunity to build a cultural bridge between the US and Russia through its original American musical style.
All of this is admittedly heady stuff for a group of men whose main musical qualification is simply that they enjoy singing, and are able to carry a tune! THE BIG APPLE CHORUS, through its music education programs and talented cadre of musical leaders, does the rest. It has transformed scores of “average Joes” into stars! THIS is the real miracle of THE BIG APPLE CHORUS! It continues unabated, week after week, as new members audition for and join the chorus.
THE BIG APPLE CHORUS has become a precious musical resource in New York City’s cultural scene. It has repeatedly demonstrated, over its lifetime, not only an unquenchable desire for musical excellence, but a will to survive which, thus far, has enabled it to grow and develop into an extraordinary musical phenomenon.