The Wasatch Chorale, based in Provo, Utah, is coming to New York City in June to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary as a community choir. Nestled under the Wasatch Mountains in Northern Utah, the Wasatch Chorale has been a mainstay in choral music since 1975. It was dreamed up by Dr. Jacob Bos, a professor of music at Brigham Young University. He recognized that the Utah Valley and surrounding areas had many people who loved to sing with few opportunities to do so at a more challenging level. We offer outstanding choral performances to the people of Utah County and surrounding areas. We have a rich history of collaboration with various arts organizations, including the Utah Valley Symphony, Utah Premiere Brass, Utah Lyric Opera and numerous ensembles at Utah Valley University, as well as professional musicians across the Wasatch Front. Continuously expanding our repertoire, we delight audiences with a diverse selection ranging from classic masterpieces to jazz, contemporary compositions, world music and beyond. Each selected piece must answer the question: How does this music challenge our choral members and improve their talents?

Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant community where diverse musicians inspire each other, develop their talents and create transcendent musical experiences. We foster personal growth and camaraderie through challenging choral music, enriching our community with diverse repertoire that uplifts hearts, changes lives and fosters connections beyond boundaries. Through collaboration, dedication and a passion for excellence, we bring people closer together, spreading joy and transforming lives with the power of music.

Now, in our 50th year, our director, Allison Unsworth, and the Chorale members are continuing the tradition of having fun music mixed with challenging masterpieces that lift the spirits of the people in the area. The Wasatch Chorale now hosts around five concerts per season (August-May) and has nearly 90 talented singers. We host one Masterworks concert every fall, which in recent years have included the Dvorak Mass in D, the Rutter Requiem and most recently, the Duruflé Requiem. This concert was performed at the famed Tabernacle at Temple Square in Salt Lake City with Andrew Unsworth, a Tabernacle organist, at the organ. All of our other concerts are wrapped around a central theme, bringing music and thought provoking messages to our patrons.

For our New York City tour, the Chorale is presenting a brand new composition by our esteemed assistant director, CJ Madsen, along with longtime Chorale members and lyricists Geoff and Jesse Griffin. It is a five-movement piece titled Waterworks.

Waterworks is a profound musical piece that intertwines poetry and composition to explore life’s journey through the allegory of water. Created by Geoff and Jesse Griffin, the nine poems -- five of which were set to music by CJ Madsen -- reflect stages from birth to death, mirroring water’s cyclical nature. Madsen’s compositions, inspired by bursts of creativity amid personal transitions, capture the essence of each poem, from the playful joy of "Sunshower" to the reflective serenity of "Tide." The work’s emotional depth was fully realized only during rehearsals, revealing a tapestry of grief, resilience and grace.

Waterworks transcends mere performance -- it is a liquid tapestry of human experience, where grief and grace flow together like tributaries into a greater whole. The Griffins' poetry and Madsen's compositions merge into something rare: art that doesn't just describe water's journey, but makes us feel its currents in our bones. From the prismatic laughter of "Sunshower" to the quiet homecoming of "Tide", this work mirrors life's most essential truth -- that we are all temporary vessels, yet part of something eternal. Like water, we change form but never truly disappear.

While on our five-day tour to New York City, we will be performing in various places around the city each day. We will be visiting Stuyvesant Square Park to give our voices to the people there and singing in Central Park as well. We will also be a part of a church service in one of New York City’s fine churches on Sunday, June 8. On Satuday, June 7 at 2 PM, we will be performing at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street); on Monday, June 9 at 1:45 PM, we will be performing at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue at 51st Street.

As all tour groups do, especially those coming from across the country, from a very small city in the desert, to a huge city, we will also be enjoying the sights, going to Broadway plays and musicals, and visiting many of the historical places that the city offers. Perhaps a few adventurous souls may even attempt the insane features of The Edge (the observation deck at Hudson Yards)!

More information on The Wasatch Chorale can be found at our website and on YouTube.

Alison Unsworth is a seasoned choral conductor, educator and performer with a lifelong dedication to choral music. She holds a Bachelor’s in Choral Education from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Choral Conducting from Appalachian State University. With experience teaching at all levels -- from elementary schools to community choirs in North Carolina and Utah -- she has also performed with prestigious ensembles like the Utah Chamber Artists, Salt Lake Vocal Artists and Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, touring across the U.S., China and Europe. A veteran private instructor in piano, voice and conducting, she now directs both the Wasatch Chorale and the Sterling Singers while contributing to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ new hymnbook project. She and her husband, Andrew, are parents to five children.

Christopher Jed "CJ" Madsen is a rising choral conductor, composer and pianist currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona. A graduate of Brigham Young University (BYU), he holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance. His compositions have been performed by BYU’s top choirs, including his opera He Shall Prepare a Way (2022) and the sacred work One Fold, One Shepherd (2019), which was recently performed at the Tabernacle at Temple Square. Deeply inspired by his faith, family and passion for meaningful music, CJ brings a dynamic blend of artistry and heartfelt expression to his work as Assistant Director of the Wasatch Chorale.