Founded in 1989, the DePaul Community Chorus (DCC) is a true “community” chorus comprised of 140 members of all ages, ethnicities, spiritual perspectives and varying levels of musical experience. The wide range of repertoire performed includes choral literature of the great composers from the 16th century to the present and also folk songs, spirituals and music from stage and screen. The DCC presents three concerts each year, including one choral masterwork with full orchestra, and is featured in the annual campus-wide Christmas at DePaul concerts.

Why sing? Our members sing with us for a variety of reasons—some of them remember how much they enjoyed music in high school or college. Some have always been in musical groups and others are just discovering what happens when a group of completely diverse individuals join their unique voices to become as one. Some enjoy “losing themselves” in something larger than their everyday worries or responsibilities…and they often find themselves enlarged and enlivened in the process.

Our director Stephen Blackwelder is a veteran conductor and choral singer who has a special devotion to building a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. While the individual contributions to a choral ensemble are each significant, the resulting choral sound is more than just a combining of voices. Along with the musical and vocal skills at the core of music making, Stephen also champions the larger human dimensions: sense of community, body and energy awareness, shared focus and purpose, and emotional and intellectual growth. As Robert Shaw put it, “the arts provide a window through which we can glimpse the divine.” The DePaul Community Chorus is a window for you to experience that potential—both in yourself and in your fellow singers.

Join Us!