The Choral Society of the Hamptons was founded in 1946 by Charlotte Rogers Smith, a local choir director, for the purpose of allowing residents of Bridgehampton and East Hampton to sing together and to hear the great oratorios and light operas of the times. Over the years, the chorus has performed works by major American composers, joined by instrumentalists and vocalists such as Dave Brubeck, Norman Dello Joio, Clamma Dale from Broadway, Marianna Christos and Gene Boucher of the Metropolitan Opera. These artists performed with the Chorus under numerous conductors of equal renown, such as Dr. Hugh Ross, Ifor Jones, Richard Vogt, Mitchell Krieger, Jon de Revere, John Daly Goodwin, Dr. Timothy Mount, Sam V.K. Willson, Mark Mangini, Gilbert Kaplan and Walter Klauss. The singing members come from all areas of the East End, from Montauk to the Moriches as well as the North Fork, and the group has expanded its musical repertoire to include all great choral composers. The Society has ventured outside the region for special guest performances in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as appearances in New York City at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall and for the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center. The Society has hosted choral groups from abroad and has joined with other choruses for concerts at Southampton College of Long Island University, State University of New York at Stony Brook and in New York City. The Choral Society of the Hamptons is well and rightly noted for its astonishing professionalism. A local group of volunteer singers, they, through repeated concerts, accompanied by professional orchestras, have never failed to either thrill or astound by their virtuosity, purity and energy. -Lee Davis, Southampton Press 3/7/02 Choral Society of the Hamptons · P.O. Box 1031 · Bridgehampton NY 11932